My Heart in Your Hands
by Princess of Monkeys
Summary: Sequel to "Shape of My Heart." Can Rogue overcome the betrayals in her past and let someone love her?
1. Default Chapter

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Disclaimer: Sorry, Kurt ate the disclaimer. That's what happens when the fridge is empty..  
  
A/N: This is a sequel and companion piece to my other story "Shape of My Heart." I recommend reading it (and my others, they're good, really!), because then things will make more sense, and because I reference little things from other stories in this one. It is sort of an AU- now you can't say I didn't warn you! _these_ are thoughts, since ff.net doesn't upload my italics. And none of the characters have accents in their thoughts because that's just stupid.  
  
One last thought: thank yous go out to everyone who read and reviewed my other work. I've gotten tons of reviews, and people actually asked for sequels, so this fic was born. Please review! They're so addictive!  
  
It was, Rogue reflected, a thoroughly unpleasant morning. Up at the crack of dawn, standing in line waiting for the bathroom- and having to listen to Bobby sing old school eighties tunes in the shower. Never mind the fact that it was a Monday- that automatically made everything suck, in Rogue's opinion.  
  
This morning's selection of choice seemed to be the Eurhythmics. "Sweeeet dreams are made of theeeese! Who am I to disagreeeee!" To make the situation even worse, Bobby was completely tone deaf.  
  
Evan pounded on the door. "My eardrums disagree, man! Shut up and get out of there!" Bobby merely sang louder.  
  
_Stupid Mystique._ Rogue thought bitterly. _Why'd you have to go and blow up our house for? Just because you're jealous.._She'd never know- Scott had left the woman trapped in Area 51 when he and the others came to rescue her, and good riddance too.  
  
Sighing, she slid down the wall into a sitting position, wanting nothing more than to go crawling back into bed and get lost in her own sweet dreams. Dreams where she could touch, dreams where a certain demon-eyed guy wasn't on the wrong side.... Blushing, hoping no one had noticed, she pulled her knees up and rested her head against them, unsuccessfully trying to block thoughts of a certain Acolyte from her mind. She hadn't told anyone, not even Kitty, what had happened between them during the battle. Sure, Kitty had been dating Lance for a while, sort of, but there was a world of difference between Mystique's former group and Magneto's new team. And she certainly couldn't tell Risty- even if she knew where her best friend was, Risty was still human, after all. And what would she say, anyways? "Hey, Risty- remember the fight that was on TV a few weeks ago, the one with all the mutants and that big robot? I met the hottest guy there!" No, that was way too over the top for even Risty to handle. Hell, she didn't even know if they were friends anymore. It's like the girl had just ..vanished in to thin air. _Besides, nothing happened anyway!_  
  
A little traitorous voice at the back of her mind wouldn't leave her alone, though. _If nothing happened, why do you dream of him? If it was nothing, why do you still have the remains of the card he gave you hidden in your journal?_ Firmly telling the little voice to shut up, she pushed the thoughts from her mind. At that moment, Bobby finally relinquished control of the bathroom. Whistling, he wandered down the hall, completely oblivious to the dirty looks the others shot him.  
  
_Idiot._ Rogue thought. Now only Kurt and Evan stood between her and a nice hot shower.  
  
A small figure thumped down next to her, yawning. Looking over, Rogue saw it was Kitty, hair mussed, rubbing her eyes blearily. "Hey," she ventured cautiously, knowing that Kitty was rarely at her best before a shower.  
  
"Hey yourself. God, I so, like, do not want to deal with all the stupid people at school!"  
  
Rogue nodded, wordlessly agreeing. Compared with fighting the tide of public opinion, battling Sentinels was easy. She remembered their first day back, the looks they'd been given, the things people had said, and of course, who could forget, the fight with the Brotherhood out in the parking lot while Jean gave her speech to the school board begging them to let the mutants stay in school.  
  
Of everyone, Rogue thought she would be the least affected. She'd never had many friends to begin with, aside from the other Institute kids and Risty, but all the cruelty had cut her deeply. She'd never realized before how much comfort she'd derived from being invisible and overlooked, how safe she'd felt. _What if we're never safe again?_  
  
Kitty was still talking, though. "I mean, like, not everyone is so bad, you know? Like, Amanda's been really nice, and all Arcade really cares about are computers anyways, so he hasn't been any different... Maybe if we just give it some time..." Her voice trailed off as she realized how trite she sounded. Time wasn't going to help. Nothing would.  
  
Everyone had been affected. All of Jean's trophies had been taken away; they even made her come to school early to take tests in an empty room, so she couldn't "steal the answers from the normal students' minds." Scott had become a prime target for Duncan and his football goons, and all of Evan's skater friends refused to speak to him. But of everyone, Kitty had been hit hardest. She had been betrayed by not only her boyfriend, but her best friend, too. When Kurt pretended not to know her or the other kids at school their first day back, she'd actually spent all of first period crying in the second floor girl's bathroom. It had taken her forever to forgive him- she'd only just started speaking to him again yesterday. _I guess Amanda must have said something to him to make him apologize to her._  
Hell, Amanda was the only normal human who would even sit next to Kitty in class now!  
  
_And they all hated me to begin with, so now they just talk trash openly._ It was hard enough accepting her inability to have any sort of normal human contact in the first place, without having complete strangers taunting her about it. And if she even so much as looked at another student cross-eyed, they'd run screaming to Principal Kelly, saying she'd tried to touch them. _As if I'd want their stupidity floating around inside my head!_  
  
Finally, it was her turn for the shower, and she stepped into it gratefully, wishing as she did every morning that human hands could run over her body like the water did. Pushing the familiar wish away, she wondered why she had been so emotional lately. Ever since the battle, everything had felt so much closer to the surface. She'd actually hid out under the bleachers in the soccer field and cried last week- twice! She was the Rogue, the Rogue didn't cry! But she had.  
  
Normally she would have blamed it on the stress of being captured and held against her will in Area 51, except she hadn't even been scared. No one could do anything to her, because no one could touch her and stay conscious! It was the only time she had ever been grateful for her unique mutation.  
  
Deciding to deal with that particularly thorny question later, she rinsed the last of the conditioner from her hair, turned off the tap and stepped out of the shower. Drying off and dressing quickly, she grabbed a portable hairdryer and set off down the hall to the room she was temporarily sharing with both Kitty and Jean during the rebuilding process.  
  
Drying her hair in record time, she made it down to the kitchen with time to spare, and served herself a generous portion of pancakes. The sight of food on the table comforted her. Come rain or shine, despite everything, Ororo always made breakfast. It was a motherly gesture, and Rogue found herself strangely reassured by it. Savoring every bite, she waited for everyone else to arrive.  
  
Everyone else finally made it to the kitchen, and there was the usual last minute frenzy of everyone trying to catch breakfast while running behind. When Scott announced that he was leaving, she followed him and Jean dutifully to the car, Kurt and Kitty trailing along behind. Evan had already left, and Ororo had taken to driving the other students in the X- van every morning.  
  
The ride was uneventful, except for Kitty asking Jean to switch off that one "Everything You Want" song. Granted, Rogue wasn't a big Vertical Horizon fan, but the song wasn't that bad. She had no idea why Kitty hated that song so vehemently. Jean looked at Kitty in the side mirror for a moment, and then changed the station.  
  
They got to school right before the first bell rang, and Rogue resigned herself to another day of mind numbing boredom, punctuated by pointless bigotry. 


	2. Chapter 2

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 2  
  
I still don't own anything. Hell, I don't even have a job!  
  
Rogue sat through her first two periods idly twisting a lock of hair around her finger and staring off into space. Even if she had been paying attention or had raised her hand, her teachers wouldn't have called on her anyways.  
  
During the break she stopped by her locker and switched out her books. As she wandered to a spot in the hallways near her next class, she scanned the halls for any sign of Risty. She'd been doing it for weeks, and was slowly losing hope. _What if her parents made her come back home? What if she hates me because I never told her I'm a mutant and she had to find out from the TV? I just wish she'd call.._ It was so unlike her to get close to people easily; she'd been a loner even before her mutation manifested, and her dangerous skin made it necessary to keep her distance from people.  
  
She heard footsteps next to her, and turned her head to look. Seeing Kurt standing next to her, she raised an eyebrow at him. He smiled at her, his goofy hologram smile, and asked "Did you do the reading?"  
  
"Yah, why? Too busy on the phone with yoah girlfriend ta do the homework?"  
  
"No, I read it, I just did not understand vhat it vas talking about!" His complaints about Macbeth were abruptly cut off by the appearance of Amanda and Kitty, on their way to computer science. Suddenly tongue tied, he stuttered a little bit and smiled a dopey smile as Amanda sidled up to him and kissed him. With a wink and a "See you at lunch, babe!" She and Kitty continued down the hall, giggling. Kurt stared after her, his blush showing through on the hologram, and murmured to himself "Ja, that girl is amazing."  
  
Rogue hid a smile, pretending to study a poster on the wall across from her. Kurt and Amanda were ridiculously sappy, but it was sort of cute. Not that she would ever admit it. Before the familiar pangs of sadness could hit, the bell rang, and she and Kurt filed into class with the other students. Evan arrived at the last minute and snagged a seat behind Kurt, who sat next to her. Staying close together in class gave all of them a feeling of safety, however illusory it really was.  
  
Pulling her notebook from her bag, she accidentally took out her journal as well. By some strange quirk of fate, her backpack, including the precious journal, had been sitting in Scott's car when the mansion had been blown up. Since the garage had been below ground level, the vehicles had remained untouched. She had nearly cried for joy when she had found it.  
  
Drowning out their instructor, she opened the black leather bound book to the inside front cover. The first night she'd been back at the Institute after her rescue from Area 51, she'd been unable to sleep. She'd grabbed a random handful of writing tools from her bag and carried the book out into the hall, intending to write until she felt tired. But instead of writing, she'd ended up drawing a pair of red-on-black eyes inside the cover. Eyes that belonged to the same guy who had tried to kill her merely days earlier. Sometimes she wondered what he would think, this nameless man with the intriguing eyes and mysterious smile, if he knew she'd drawn his eyes in her book. Would he understand that he was stuck in her mind, as much as if she'd touched him? Or was an ally of Magneto unable to feel anything except hate and violence?  
  
A sudden loud noise startled her. Looking around wildly, Rogue saw the teacher looming in front of her desk, the textbook she'd dropped on it to get Rogue's attention making it wobble.  
  
"Ah, Rogue," she pronounced the name with distaste, "so glad to have you back with us. Tell me- perhaps you can give me some idea of the symbolism behind the three Weird Sisters in the first scene."  
  
Rogue looked around for a moment, lost, wishing momentarily for Jean's telepathy so she could borrow someone else's answer. One of the cheerleaders in the back giggled, and Rogue's eyes narrowed, and answer coming to her. Something from a story Irene had read to her as a little girl.  
  
"There's three of 'em, for the three Fates. One for Past, Present an' Future, 'cause they're weavin' Macbeth's destiny."  
  
The instructor stepped back, raising an eyebrow. "Well, apparently someone did the reading after all," her expression making it clear that she thought this was a once in a lifetime event for Rogue. Luckily, at that moment the bell rang, saving the girl from saying something satisfyingly rude that might have to be regretted later.  
  
As she walked into biology and slid into her seat, she wondered why she'd remembered the story about the three Fates. She hadn't thought of her foster mother in months. Shrugging it off, she sighed, realizing that she'd have to do this week's lab report by herself again. Risty had been her lab partner.  
  
When the interminable period finally ended, she flew through the halls, heading for her refuge, her hiding spot under the bleachers. Of course, not so hidden anymore, since the day Kitty and Kurt, baffled by her mysterious lunchtime disappearing act and worried for her safety, had done a school wide search and found her out. Even though she'd been irritated at losing her privacy yet again, she's been secretly glad that they'd cared enough to come looking for her. Now, they had an agreement. If one of them could catch her before she made it out there, she had to eat lunch with the group. If not, she could be as antisocial as she pleased.  
  
Today was looking like an antisocial kind of day.... Until Amanda stepped out of the crowd in front of her, and she felt a thick finger tap her on the shoulder from behind. Without turning around, she whined at him "Kurt, no fair usin' Amanda ta trap me!" They both just smiled at her, and she gave in, still glowering at him, and walked with them to the usual table in the courtyard. 


	3. Chapter 3

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 3  
  
I don't own, you don't sue.  
  
He leaned against the trunk of a tree, brown trench coat blending in with the bark, back to watching her again. It had been a week since he'd last been here, and although normally he would have jumped at the chance to see her again, right now he was wishing to be anywhere but here. Specifically, he wanted to see her, but didn't want her to catch him. For some reason, he felt obscurely ashamed to be on this errand, waiting to deliver a message to the leader of the Brotherhood. He was sure Rogue wouldn't approve; he couldn't imagine her being anyone's messenger.  
  
He'd become even more disenchanted with his place on Magneto's team, if such a thing was even possible. Now, not only was he reduced to playing errand boy, but they'd obviously become the missing mutants bureau, as well. Magneto's hunt for his missing ally-turned-enemy, Mystique, had hit a dead end, and he had been unable to locate and contain his revenge seeking daughter Wanda as well. Remy smirked to himself, remembering the expression on Magneto's face when he's learned of his son's capture. Even if he'd been unable to find Wanda, she'd certainly done a number on Pietro. _Serves the little boy right, the arrogant insufferable fool._ Magneto's son was not popular around the base.  
  
Looking up, he noticed that Rogue was gone. Feeling relieved, he settled in to wait for Avalanche.  
  
Sighing, Rogue gathered up her belongings and stepped down off the bleachers, wishing she didn't have to trade the warmth of the sun for the coldness of her classmates. Suddenly, she felt the earth tremble under her feet. _Lance must be pissed about something,_ she thought wryly. She'd long since grown used to his temper tantrums. Said mutant came flying past her and disappeared around the corner, almost knocking her over. _Wow, must be serious. I guess the Professor quit defending them or something._ The look on his face had been murder. She continued walking slowly, waiting for Kitty, in no hurry to get to the torture that was geometry.  
  
As Lance rounded the corner, Gambit pulled him up short by the collar of his vest and delivered his message. The younger mutant pulled himself free and said "Forget it! We're sick of being used." Lance stalked off, ground shaking faintly in his wake, and Gambit let him go, new respect for the Brotherhood's leader growing from that unexpected display of defiance. _I, too, grow sick of being used._  
  
He suddenly heard female voices from around the corner, and when her turned around to look, he saw Rogue speaking angrily to two other girls. Before his common sense could kick in and remind him that he hadn't wanted her to see him in the first place, he'd stepped out to come to her aid.  
  
Rogue could usually let the comments just roll off her back, but for some reason, the two cheerleader clones really annoyed her. As they came walking out of the locker room, one of them said, just loud enough to be heard, "Like, what's with that freaky goth girl anyway?" The other one agreed "Yeah, and, like, what kind of stupid name is Rogue anyway? It's, like, dumb even for a mutie-"  
  
With a Logan-esque growl, Rogue turned on them. "It's mah name, an' Ah lahke it jus' fahn!" Her accent thickened with every word.  
  
An unexpected and unfamiliar voice rang out behind her. "It be a beautiful name for a beautiful femme, non?" Remy drawled, smiling a definitely unfriendly smile at the two girls. One seemed about to disagree with his assessment, but the sight of a flaming card in his hand persuaded both of them to shut up and run.  
  
Rogue turned around slowly, eyes widening in surprise as she saw who was standing behind her. "You!" She said, trying to hide the thrill that ran through her at seeing him gain.  
  
With the full intensity of her gaze upon him, he almost lost his composure. Desperately pulling his façade of calmness tightly around himself, he said nonchalantly "Chere, de name be Remy, not 'you'," giving her a devilish grin.  
  
She immediately placed his accent, and a wave of nostalgia washed over her. It was so good to hear another Southern voice... Suddenly, the charm rang false. This smooth-tongued flatterer brought her emotions way too close to the surface with his haunting eyes and Cajun accent. Suddenly angry, she snapped, "Ah ain't yoah chere, Swamp Rat. What are ya doin' heah anyhow?"  
  
He gave her a long, strange, almost confused look. Then, shrugging, his tone completely different, he said "Remy be doin' nothin' here anymore." He turned and stalked away, trench coat billowing out behind him.  
  
"No, wait," Rogue said, confused. Why had she said that? Why had he looked at her that way? Why did his presence make her feel all twisted up inside?  
  
Something fluttered back at her over his shoulder, and after waiting to make certain it wasn't going to explode, she cautiously picked it up. It was a card- the Queen of Hearts. She carefully tucked it into her pocket and turned around to see Kitty coming towards her. A flash of fear went through her- how much had Kitty seen?  
  
Eyes narrowed, the pony tailed girl stared after Remy's retreating figure. "Isn't that, like, one of Magneto's guys?"  
  
"Ya, he is." Rogue's voice was strange, and Kitty looked at her closely. "Shouldn't we, like, go get Scott or something?"  
  
"No! Not Scott, there's no time, we gotta follow him ourselves!" Kitty was a little worried- this didn't seem like Rogue at all. "But what about, like, sixth period?"  
  
"Forget sixth period! Look, Ah swear Ah'll explain it all, but not now! Jus' c'mon!" Grabbing Kitty by the wrist, Rogue dragged the smaller girl along behind her, intent on the chase. 


	4. Chapter 4

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Dancing disclaimers! Dunking donuts! Yay!  
  
About a block away from the school, Kitty phased her hand free of Rogue's grasp. "Rogue, I'm not going anywhere until you, like, tell me what's going on!" The thought flashed through her mind to be scared- what if this wasn't even Rogue at all? What if Mystique was back, and trying to lead her into a trap?  
  
Exasperated, Rogue said "Fahn, but We're wastin' time. Ah saw Lance come runnin' outta the school lahke a bat outta hell, tremors an' all, an' then Ah saw that Acolyte guy, an Ah think somethin's up, a'right?" Desperately hoping the younger girl would accept the explanation, she stared hard at Kitty, arms crossed over her chest, foot tapping impatiently.  
  
As she'd hoped, the mention of the Brotherhood leader swayed Kitty. "Lance? Then, like, what are we waiting for?" The girls took off running again, and Rogue thought triumphantly _Ha! I knew she still has a thing for him!_  
  
Rogue had long since lost sight of Remy, but the neighborhood was familiar to her, and she knew he could have only one destination in mind- the Brotherhood house. As they came running up the block, they could hear explosions coming from the dilapidated structure. Rogue pushed Kitty ahead of her and said "Quick, phase through a wall or somethin'!" Unhesitatingly, Kitty phased herself partway through the wall. Rogue tried to catch a glimpse through a window, but it hadn't been cleaned in so long it was impossible to see through.  
  
Kitty phased herself out of the wall, and Rogue said "Well? What's goin' on in there?"  
  
"Like, I dunno! That guy, they called him Gambit, has Toad all wrapped up in this rug, it looks like it's gonna explode or something! And he said they had to go rescue someone!"  
  
There could be only one person Magneto would want rescued- his son. "Pietro!" Both girls said in unison, looking at each other. Suddenly they heard the front door open, and Kitty pulled rogue back into the bushes out of sight.  
  
Lance, Fred, and Toad, released from the rug, got into Lance's jeep and took off. Gambit followed them out, and gave a quick glance in the direction of the bushes, before heading down the street in the opposite direction.  
  
The girls waited long enough to be sure he was gone, then ran after the jeep. "Uh, Rogue, why are we, like, still following them? So what if they're rescuing Pietro?"  
  
"Kitty, ya know they're gonna screw it up! We're goin' ta keep 'em from hurtin' anyone!"  
  
They saw the jeep stopped up ahead, and Kitty phased them into a truck going in the same direction.  
  
As Gambit walked away from the Brotherhood house, he thought about their meeting at the school. He'd figured she would follow him-she didn't seem like the type to give up. Seeing the strands of her hair caught on the bush had merely proved him right.  
  
Her attitude confused him, though. He'd tried to help her, but she'd still treated him like the enemy. _I am more than who I work for... But I guess she doesn't see it that way._ Yet, if she only saw him as an enemy, why had she drawn his eyes?  
  
_This whole thing was so much easier when I was only spying on her,_ he reflected. Sometimes he wished he'd never peeked into her journal, the day she'd left it under the bleachers. Then he wouldn't have thought there was a chance. Suddenly, his mood brightened. He wasn't one to give up either. Coming up with a plan, he turned towards the Bayville mall. For this to work, he needed money, and he knew just how to get it.  
  
Kitty and Rogue caught up with the boys just as the sun was setting. As Rogue went to take out Lance, Kitty caught her arm. "Just.. like, don't hurt him, okay?" The girl pleaded, and Rogue nodded. 


	5. Chapter 5

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Disclaimer: Monkeys!!!  
  
When Rogue and Kitty finally made it back to the Institute, Scott and the Professor were waiting up for them in the kitchen. The girls explained what had happened, and instead of punishing them, the Professor merely told them that it wasn't their responsibility to handle everything that came up. When Scott piped up with "And you have detention tomorrow, for skipping sixth period," Rogue wasn't surprised- she'd figured the Professor wouldn't bail them out of it. Kitty, however, was furious.  
  
After grabbing a quick snack, since they had missed dinner, Rogue wandered down the hall to the shared bedroom. While she'd been rummaging through the cupboards, the Professor had told her the good news- as long as things continued to go on schedule, they should be able to move into their rebuilt bedrooms by next weekend.  
  
She pushed open the door and saw Kitty sitting on her bed, arms crossed over her chest, looking angry.  
  
"Uh, Kitty, whatcha doin' on mah bed?" Rogue asked warily, closing the bedroom door behind herself.  
  
"I was waiting for you to get your butt in here, that's what I was doing! You so totally owe me, like, and explanation! I ditched sixth period, ran all over town, let you knock out my boyf- ex-boyfriend, I mean, got insulted by Pietro, missed dinner, and to top it all off, I have detention tomorrow! Just 'cause you wanted to follow that Acolyte guy! So spill it!"  
  
"A'right, Ah said Ah'd explain, but not heah! Jean could come in or somethin'!"  
  
Rogue led Kitty to one of the unused subbasements. She stared nervously at the ground for a moment, not sure where to begin. Then, with t heavy sigh, she told Kitty about what had happened during the Sentinel fight.  
  
"....The way he looked at me, Kitty.... No one's eva' looked at me lahke that before. An' when he gave me that card- Ah knew he didn't want to hurt me, else he woulda jus' thrown it."  
  
"But an Acolyte, Rogue? They're, like, the enemy!"  
  
Rogue turned away from her, angry. "An' the Brotherhood's on our side? Of all people, Ah thought you'd understand."  
  
Kitty looked ashamed. She was quiet for a moment, and then she said "I'm sorry, Rogue. I guess I kinda do get it; maybe this Gambit guy isn't evil, but how could you ever know? You don't know, like, anything about him!"  
  
Rogue blushed deeply. "Well, actually, there's more.... He tried ta help me today; when those cheerleader girls started in on me after p.e. he chased 'em off. He tol' me his name, called me 'chere'.... he's Cajun," she said helplessly, as if that was an explanation in itself.  
  
When Kitty just stared at her uncomprehendingly, she sighed again. Softly, she continued. "It was lahke somethin' outta those dumb romance novels ya always read. Here, he'd jus' saved me, an' he was so good lookin', an' it was lahke he lahked me... An' it was too good ta be true, an' so Ah got mad. Ah called him a swamp rat, an' asked him what he was doin' there."  
  
"What did he say?"  
  
"He didn't, he jus' looked at me all funny an' said he wasn't doin' anythin' anymore, an' left. But he tossed me a card- not an explodin' one, either. Look." She took the card out of her pocket and showed it to Kitty, whose eyes went wide.  
  
"The Queen of Hearts! Rogue, he totally likes you! See, it's like he's telling you you're his queen or something! That's so totally romantic!" She squealed. "Hey, what's his name, anyways?"  
  
"Remy," Rogue said dreamily. Then, catching herself, she said "Ya read too many of those dumb books. He's prob'ly jus' tryin ta mess with mah head or somethin'. Ah don' wanna talk 'bout it anymore." With that, Rogue turned and walked out.  
  
Kitty watched her go, and rolled her eyes. _Leave it to Rogue to make everything ten times harder than it has to be,_ she thought wryly. 


	6. Chapter 6

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Disclaimer? We don't need no stinkin' disclaimer!  
  
Reviewer thank you's: Caliente, Ima Super Mute Ant (hooray happy monkeys!), Winter Fire, DBZpunkchick, Yumiko, ChibiKeninchen, and ishandahalf (I've taken the bunny on crack as my spirit guide, so hopefully the chapters will keep flowing quickly!) Thank you so much- it really helps knowing that someone is reading and liking this. Yay!  
  
When Rogue got to her first period European history class the next morning, a blood-red rose was sitting on her desk. At first she thought it was a mistake- another dance was coming up, so maybe someone had just left it on her desk by accident. Then, when she saw the little white envelope bearing her name lying underneath, she thought it was a joke; people had pulled pranks on her before. _Something nasty is probably going to come out of this envelope,_ she thought holding it at arms length away from herself. Carefully opening the envelope, she was surprised when nothing bad happened. Cautiously peering inside, she saw a card- this one the King of Hearts. She shook it out of the envelope, and a small, folded piece of paper fell out as well. Unfolding it, she saw, written in neat, precise writing: "Chere, meet me in the park by the fountain at midnight." It was unsigned, but it didn't need to be. Only one person would ever call her chere.  
  
She heard the sound of a throat clearing, and looked up to see her history teacher glaring at her. "If you could perhaps deal with your little romance on your own time?"  
  
Blushing, she shoved everything into the front pocket of her backpack and tried to pretend to pay attention. _Great, now it's going to be all over the whole school by sixth period. Just what I need- more insensitive morons speculating on my love life._ Sighing, she hunkered down in her seat and got lost in a daydream.  
  
Her next period passed by in a blur, and Rogue found herself in the hall by her English class, tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for Kitty to pass by. Kurt joined her, noticing her impatience, but not willing to risk her ire by asking her about it.  
  
When Kitty and Amanda showed up, Rogue immediately grabbed the younger girl and pulled her into an empty classroom. Behind her, Kurt and Amanda stared at each other, mouths agape.  
  
"What's her problem?" Amanda asked, staring at Kurt confusedly.  
  
"Don't ask me- I haven't got a clue! She's been really vierd the last few veeks."  
  
Amanda shrugged. "Maybe she'd got a crush on some guy or something. I mean, that dance is coming up...."  
  
Kurt laughed. "Are you crazy? Rogue doesn't get crushes on people! And her, go to a dance of her own free will? Ha!" He was still laughing.  
  
Amanda nodded. "Yeah, I guess that would be strange...."  
  
In the classroom, Rogue showed Kitty the rose, card and note. "Ah found 'em on mah desk in first period."  
  
Kitty studied the card closely, and then said "Hey, let me see the other one again." Puzzled, Rogue took out the other card, and Kitty held them up. "Look! He changed them so they, like, look like you guys!"  
  
Rogue looked closer and saw that Kitty was right- the Queen had white streaked hair, while the King's eyes were black with red pupils.  
  
"Oh, that's so cute!" Kitty squealed, and Rogue winced. _The problem with telling Kitty anything..._  
  
"You so have to go meet him!"  
  
"No, Ah dunno... What if it's a trap or somethin'?"  
  
"Geeze, you sound just like Scott. Of course it's not a trap, he'd never do something like, so romantic if it was a trap."  
  
Rogue just stared at her. _Sometimes Kitty's version of logic makes my head hurt._  
  
Kitty rolled her eyes dramatically. "Look, I know where you're going, so if you don't make it back by like, I dunno, 2:00, I'll just go tell the Professor. Okay?"  
  
Rogue sighed; she obviously didn't have a choice in the matter. "Fahn, whateva', Ah'll go. Don' ya have class?" Kitty yelped and ran out into the hall. Moments later, Rogue could see her dragging Amanda away. Laughing, she rejoined Kurt, who eyed her speculatively and asked cautiously "Vhat vas that all about?"  
  
To which Rogue replied vaguely, "Oh, nothing. Girl stuff." Shuddering, Kurt dropped the subject, and seemed relieved when the bell rang.  
  
She spaced out through English, and barely made it out of biology without mishap. When the bell rang for lunch, she didn't even think about heading out to the bleachers. Today, she actually wanted the company of her friends. With all the fuss Kitty was making over her pseudo-romance, she actually felt closer to the rest of them than she ever had before.  
  
The simple normality of her friends' behavior was familiar and comforting. Kurt trying to filch fries from everyone, Evan hogging all the milk, Kitty and Amanda giggling abut something, Scott and Jean trying (and failing) to have a serious conversation, the new recruits ganging up on Amara... Sitting at the lunch table made her feel safe, in a way contemplating midnight trysts with Acolytes didn't.  
  
Rogue knew that everyone would probably assume that something like this would be normal for her. She projected such a tough image, so street wise and hard, that no one would ever guess how unprepared she was to deal with anything even remotely resembling romance. Only Kitty knew the truth- she'd never even told Risty anything about her past.  
  
Only one other boy had ever liked her- Cody, back home in Caldecott County, Mississippi. He had been her first and only kiss- when he'd kissed her, her emotions had gone haywire, triggering her mutant powers to manifest. She'd found out later that he'd been in a coma for here weeks.  
  
By the time he recovered, she'd already been in Bayville, tricked into joining the Brotherhood by Mystique. _Thank god I found out the truth before it was too late,_ she thought, remembering the disastrous trip to the mountains when Mystique had tried to kill Scott. She'd joined the X- Men that day, after absorbing the shape shifter's memories and discovering the truth.  
  
Sudden snickering brought her out of her thoughts, along with Kitty's angry voice. "Bobby Drake, if you don't unfreeze her shoes this instant, I'll tell Logan you were using your powers at school! You know what he'll do to you!"  
  
"Rogue looked down at her boots, encased in ice, and said, in a strangely calm voice, "Dangit, Bobby, this is the third pair of mah boots you've frozen. Fix it or Ah'll make ya buy me new ones."  
  
Kitty's threat scared him enough to thaw her boots, and he stood there, suddenly ashamed, as Rogue glared at him, grabbing her backpack and stomping off.  
  
"Good going, Bobby," Kitty snapped at him as she followed Rogue. Everyone else was glaring at him too, and he said helplessly "What, it was just a joke guys, I didn't mean any harm, honest!"  
  
Kurt looked at him and said, completely serious, "Mein freund, vhen it comes to pulling pranks on people, doing it to Rogue never ends up being funny."  
  
"Rogue, wait!" Kitty called, and surprisingly, the other girl stopped.  
  
"What do ya want?" Rogue snapped at her, hurt in her eyes.  
  
Kitty looked up at her, startled, suddenly unsure of what to say. "Rogue, it was just a joke, he didn't mean anything by it, please don't take it so, like, personal! He only does it to friends...."  
  
Rogue wanted to believe her, she really did, but she remembered other pranks, other "friends," other jokes with her as the butt, which never seemed very funny from her point of view. She shrugged Kitty's comment off, and said "Whateva'. Ah have ta go ta mah locker. Ah'll see ya in p.e." She turned and walked away.  
  
Deflated, Kitty walked slowly back to the table. Why did he have to go and ruin everything? Rogue had been so distant since the Sentinel fight, and today she'd come to eat with them by her own choice, and Kitty thought she was finally feeling like she belonged, like she was a part of things, until Bobby had pulled his stupid prank on her. Rogue didn't see stuff like the rest of them did- jokes like that just weren't funny to her, she'd been on the wrong end of too many of them, from people who had meant it to hurt. Kurt had figured that out, but apparently Bobby was just really dense. She knew it wasn't really his fault, he just hadn't known, but she couldn't help being mad. _Rogue, don't think we're pushing you away!_ She thought, wishing her friend could hear. 


	7. Chapter 7

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 7  
  
Take the disclaimer bowling, take it bowling, take it bowling...  
  
A/N: This chapter has a little bit from Remy's past in it, and this note goes for any chapters that have his past in them. I've read lots of fics lately, and sometimes I don't know what's canon, my own ideas, or something I'm remembering from someone else's work. So, if I borrowed something about Remy's past from someone else's fics, I'm really sorry. Let me know, and I will give full credit where it is due.  
  
After Remy's little errand at the mall, he'd gone back to the base to pick up Pietro, and dropped him off at the Brotherhood house. He'd had to laugh at the boys' reaction to Pietro's return- he was sure the speed demon would have a great time living with the people he'd double crossed. _Sometimes I think Magneto doesn't even like his son._  
  
As he rode back to the base, he tried to just let go and enjoy the feeling of the wind in his hair, and the freedom of the open road. He'd never much enjoyed being in cars- too enclosed. _And those metal sphere things Magneto has us flying around in are even worse!_ While Remy wasn't exactly claustrophobic, he didn't much care for closed-in spaces. The distaste stemmed from his childhood.  
  
He'd been a few years younger than Rogue when his power had manifested. He'd botched an operation when he'd accidentally charged a doorknob, setting off countless alarms and nearly getting himself and his partner, his cousin Etienne, caught by the police. Understandably upset, the Guild Father had locked him in a small, dark room while trying to decide what to do with him. Remy, being young, bored, and lacking in common sense, had decided to try and bust out, using his newly discovered powers. Unfortunately, since ha also lacked control, he'd nearly blown himself up in the process.  
  
Pushing aside the memories of his past, he sighed and rode into the darkened garage at the back of the converted warehouse that served as their headquarters. He parked his bike and went to go report to Magneto, knowing that their leader didn't like to be kept waiting.  
  
He knocked on the steel door to Magneto's office, and waited for it to fully swing open before stepping inside. As he settled himself into one of the metal chairs and heard the door close behind him, he wondered _I understand the obsession with metal, but would a cushion really be too much to ask for?_ He kept the thought to himself, though- his boss was singularly lacking in the sense-of-humor department.  
  
Remy gave his report to Magneto, who sat behind his desk in an Armani suit, hands steepled before him, studying the young thief intently. When Remy finished describing the Brotherhood's reactions to their new leader, Magneto, looking thoughtful, dismissed him.  
  
After Gambit had gone, Magneto contemplated his next move. Even if the Brotherhood had been successful in their rescue attempt, he would have still sent Pietro back to them. He had no intention of integrating them with his Acolytes- their loyalties were still too questionable, especially Avalanche's little display of defiance. No, it was still too dangerous to include them in his larger plans. Right now, the Brotherhood was useful for only one thing- distracting the X-Men and keeping Xavier from guessing his real plans. All of which would come to naught if he couldn't catch that meddlesome daughter of his!  
  
As Remy left Magneto's office, he reflected _It's a good thing I'm not working for a telepath._ If Magneto had any idea of his plans for tomorrow night... well, he would not be pleased, to say the least.  
  
As he passed the common room, he looked in on the mayhem and rolled his eyes. Piotr was in his metal form, sitting on the couch, drawing in a slightly singed sketchbook. Apparently St. John had gotten ahold of a lighter from somewhere, which explained the scorch marks on the walls. Currently Victor had him backed into a corner, holding his lighter like a talisman, looking frightened. A chunk of Victor's hair had been burned off, and he looked less than pleased.  
  
Remy called "Now, now, boys, play nice." Victor turned and roared at him, which allowed St. John a chance to make his escape. Shooting Remy a slightly crazed but thankful grin, the Australian disappeared down the hallway. Victor turned to follow, but Piotr's voice stopped him.  
  
"Let him go, Viktor. Zhere is nothingk for him to burn in zhat direction. Magneto will take care of it."  
  
With an incoherent snarl, Victor stalked up the hall to his own room and slammed the door. Piotr went back to sketching, allowing the metal to recede, and Remy wandered on towards his won room, shaking his head. Sometimes he felt like he was trapped in the middle of the stupid MTV reality show Pietro had liked to watch. _What happens when you put a megalomaniac, an animalistic psychopath, a criminally insane pyromaniac, a blackmailed Russian strongman, and a thief all together in one house? I'll tell you what happens- sheer hell, that's what._  
  
He walked into his room and flopped down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Morning couldn't come soon enough to suit him. 


	8. Chapter 8

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Disclaimer: So a nun, a rabbi, and a blonde all walk into a bar....  
  
A/N: I'm just making up geography for this part, because I have no idea where Bayville is supposed to be in relation to New York City. And I don't know if there are main highways, or what they're called, if they're freeways or whatever- I'm from California, never even been to New York! So if I'm screwing it up royally, someone please tell me! And yes, there will be Rogue-Remy-ness soon; but I'm a mean author and I want to do all this plot development stuff first. It'll be in a few more chapters, I promise! Keep reading!  
  
Remy woke early the next morning. He was one of those lucky people with an accurate internal clock- he hadn't had to use an alarm in years. No one else was awake yet, and he slipped quietly out of the warehouse. Putting a small white envelope carefully in his coat pocket, he put on his sunglasses and rode to the nearest flower shop.  
  
A few minutes later, he was in and out of the shop, holding a red rose with a satisfied smile. He wanted there to be no confusion about his intentions- paler flowers might be for friendship, but red was for romance. Placing the rose carefully in one of the empty saddlebags, he rode towards the school, trying to quantify his emotions.  
  
As he rode through the chill morning air, he wondered _is this really love? How can it be, when I don't know her at all?_ Magneto's file had given him only the most basic information about her background, and even most of that was still a mystery. All he really had were his own guesses from spying on her so much, and the quick glimpse into her journal. It wasn't a lot to go on, and he almost started doubting himself.  
  
Yet, when he thought about Belladonna, things were completely different. He'd known his ex-fiancé well- almost too well- and had never felt anything remotely like this for her. He had definitely felt obligation, duty and friendship towards her, and there had even been a healthy measure of attraction- she was nothing if not beautiful- but he'd never been unable to get her out of his head, like with Rogue. Bella had just been there, an irrefutable part of his future, someone and something to just accept; but Rogue was his choice.  
  
The question was, would he be hers?  
  
Remy knew exactly where all of Rogue's classes were- Mystique had been useful for a few things after all. He picked the lock on the door of her first period classroom, and stepped inside, careful to move across the floor soundlessly. It wouldn't do to get careless and have some janitor come in and ruin everything. He thought for a moment, figuring perspective in his minds eye, trying to pinpoint which desk was hers. Looking in from the window was a completely different view than actually standing in the classroom, but he finally found the right desk, setting down the envelope and placing the rose down gently atop it.  
  
As he left the classroom, he looked up- and froze. _It's that red head- the telekinetic one- what's her name... Jean! Did she see me?_ Jean, however, was intent upon her own purposes, and didn't notice Remy standing motionless in the shadows only a few feet away from her. She disappeared into a classroom up the hall, and he let out a sigh of relief. Jean was the attack first, ask questions later type, and he highly doubted that Rogue would much want to see him that night if he had to fight one of her teammates in the morning.  
  
Remy quickly left the school, personal errand finished. He would be back later to check on her, but now he was on Magneto's time. No matter his doubts, he still worked for the man, and he'd never let anyone say he tried to shirk his responsibilities. Catching the main highway south, he headed towards the distinctive skyline of the city. _Anti-mutant rallies are such fun early in the morning,_ he thought sarcastically.  
  
Hours later, he felt disgusted. Listening to anti-mutant propaganda always made him feel so polluted and unclean. This morning's assignment had been especially enjoyable- anti-mutant protesters had camped out in front of one of the glass-walled TV studios, waving their banners and chanting their slogans, and the young leader of the Friends of Humanity had come down from their headquarters in Albany to make a speech. His speech had been full of anti-mutant slurs and impassioned rhetoric, calling for immediate quarantine of all known mutants, mandatory registration and testing of all newborn children, and new laws to "prosecute the abominations for their crimes against humanity!" The rally had been so big that several news stations had done features on it, reporting live from the scene, thereby giving the Friends of Humanity national exposure, and Remy was sure every city would be clamoring to have its own chapter of the organization by day's end. The worst part, though, had been some of the pictures they'd had taped up to their banners. They had obviously come from the original news footage of the Sentinel fight, and they showed pictures of the X-Men with targets painted on them. When he'd seen the ones of the rest of the team, it hadn't really affected him, but when he'd seen a man carrying a sign with Rogue painted to look like a target, his blood had boiled, and he'd nearly blown his cover.  
  
Riding up the highway back to Bayville, he tried to let the unpleasant memories float away in the wind. He'd have to report to Magneto soon enough, but there was no reason to think more on all of it than he had to. Too bad the wind couldn't similarly carry off the lingering filth that was Graydon Creed.  
  
In his mid-twenties, Creed was a mystery. Nothing was really known about his past, other than that he'd spent all of his childhood in the foster care system, but beyond that, he was a complete unknown. Sometimes Remy wondered what had happened to him to make him hate mutants so much, to drive him to create his organization. Either way, mysterious past or not, the man was an exceptional orator, able to get crowds to hang on his every word, and he had such enormous sway over his followers that he was a grave danger to mutants everywhere. It wasn't pleasant to think about.  
  
When Remy arrived back at Bayville High, he parked his bike in a teacher's lot (less conspicuous that way), and headed for his usual spying tree. Leaping up to catch a low hanging branch, he pulled himself up and perched on it, looking over at the bleachers.  
  
He could see her sitting there, headphones on, head bent over as she wrote in her black book. He could see the rose sticking out of her backpack, and he smiled- she had gotten his message. But his smile disappeared when she raised her head, and he could see that she looked upset, even slightly sad.  
  
His heart skipped a beat. _Was I wrong? But she kept the rose..._ He watched as the girl with the perpetual ponytail came up and tried to talk to her, and he noticed how Rogue completely shut her out, first ignoring her, then yelling at her. When the bell rang, Rogue grabbed her bag and ran, leaving Kitty and Remy both with identical feelings of helplessness. 


	9. Chapter 9

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Rogue touched the disclaimer, so it's going to be out cold for a while... But on the plus side, now she has its handy dandy mutant powers! Hooray for the disclaimer.  
  
More plot development. Deal with it.  
  
Partway through French, Rogue started to feel guilty for yelling at Kitty. _Poor girl only wanted to know if I was okay, and I practically blew her eardrums out!_ She'd almost gotten over the prank by then; it wasn't that it hurt her so much- she knew Bobby considered her to be a friend- but that it just reminded her of other people, other pranks. She was sick of being the butt of other people's jokes, the target of cruel people's pranks, and it had been going on her whole life. Jokes because she was adopted and lived with a foster mother, jokes because of her strange hair, jokes because of how she dressed and who she liked and what she did. It had been endless amusement to TP the house of the girl with no family, so much fun to put gum in her weird two tone hair and put stink bombs in her locker. It hadn't been so bad in Mississippi- people were mean, but she'd at least grown up there, even if she could never go back. But here... everything about her was out of place. Sometimes she wondered if she was God's big cosmic joke. She knew Bobby didn't know, but still, it bothered her, and probably always would.  
  
It really wasn't Kitty's fault- she just wanted all of her friends to get along, and it made sense- they already had enough enemies out there, without making more within the group. When Kitty had come after her, she'd been the last person Rogue had wanted to deal with at the moment, but it still meant something that she'd tried. When it really came down to it, out of all the kids who lived in the Institute, Kitty, Kurt and Scott were the only ones who tried.  
  
When Rogue had moved in with Kitty, the girl had acted like every night was going to be a sleepover, full of giggling and girl talk. As irritating as she was, she never gave up, and slowly, she'd begun to grow on Rogue, until suddenly, one day, they were..... friends.  
  
Kurt had been different. He'd never acted afraid of her power, never treated her like there was anything wrong with her. And he'd never held her brief membership in the Brotherhood against her, either. Even though he'd had so many negative experiences, he always tried to see the best in everyone, even her. People were just people to him, and everyone was a potential friend.  
  
And Scott.... He knew exactly what it was like to have such a devastating, uncontrollable mutation. Both his eyes and her skin could be deadly, and they'd bonded over their shared problems. When she'd first moved into the Institute, seeing as how he'd been the one most responsible for her decision to join them, he'd been the one to help her adjust. They'd spent hours in the library discussing the limits powers like theirs placed on their lives, their responsibilities to do the right thing with those powers, and most of all, how to live a normal life when nothing about them was at all normal.  
  
She'd had a crush on him in the beginning, and she supposed she'd always think he was cute. But even as much as she and the read head weren't exactly the best of friends, she'd still be the first to admit that the two of them were perfect for each other. They were just meant to be together. She knew everyone thought she was jealous of Jean, and in a way she probably was- she didn't want Jean's perfect life, she just wanted someone to want her the way Scott wanted Jean. _Instead, I get a crazy Acolyte with delusions of romance whose probably just going to try and pump me for information._  
  
When Rogue went to serve her detention for cutting sixth period the day before, she apologized to Kitty. "Look, Ah didn't mean ta yell at ya, Ah jus' didn't want ta talk about it."  
  
"It's like, okay. I was mad at Bobby too."  
  
Rogue gave her a small smile, and Kitty smiled back. Suddenly thinking of something, her expression deepened, and she said worriedly "Hey Rogue- when you go out to, like, meet Remy tonight, I'll totally cover for you, but just like, promise me you'll come back, okay?"  
  
Rogue looked at her strangely. "Kitty, Ah'm not gonna go runnin' away or nothn'! Of course Ah'll come back- where else would Ah go, anyways?" she tried to joke.  
  
"Just promise me!"  
  
Rogue sighed. "If it'll make ya feel better...." she muttered under her breath. "A'right, fahn, Ah promise Ah'll come back. Ya happy now?"  
  
Kitty nodded, still looking serious, and Rogue rolled her eyes. _That girl can be so weird sometimes...._ 


	10. Chapter 10

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Disclaimer: Beer is God's way of saying that he loves us and wants us to be happy...  
  
After dinner, Rogue flopped down on the couch in subbasement 17, which had become an impromptu rec room during the reconstruction. Jean was watching some random sitcom- they all seemed the same to Rogue- and raised an eyebrow at her, but said nothing.  
  
Rogue thought all sitcoms were stupid, but tonight she wanted something to take her mind off her situation. _There is no situation!_ She reminded herself. _I'm just going to go there, tell him he can't use me for information, and tell him to get lost._  
  
Remembering who was in the room with her, she reigned in her thoughts. _Besides, I didn't want to be thinking about it anyways!_  
  
The show ended, and another one came on, and still she and Jean sat there in silence. However, it was soon broken by the sound of Kitty's voice. "Oh, Rogue, there you are! I was looking all over for you!" Kitty smiled at Jean as she dragged Rogue up off the couch and whisked her out of the room.  
  
Out in the relative safety of the hallway, Kitty said "Rogue, what were you doing in there? What if she, like, heard you or something?"  
  
"Kitty, unlike some people, Ah do not think loudly! Now what did ya want?" Rogue responded, suddenly irritated. _Kitty is getting way too into this whole having secrets thing!_  
  
"I do not think loudly!" Kitty huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and stamping her foot.  
  
*bamf* "Nien, Katzchen, but you do talk loudly," Kurt piped up from behind her.  
  
"Aagh!" Throwing her hands up in the air, Kitty disgustedly left them, phasing through a nearby wall.  
  
Kurt and Rogue shared a laugh. "Thanks elf-boy- ya just saved me from a fate worse than death!"  
  
"Vhat, more of Katzchen's fashion advice?" He quipped.  
  
"Yah, somethin' like that." Leaving Kurt still laughing behind her, she went back to the shared room, hoping for some peace and quiet- she had reading to do for English, and Macbeth was one of the few Shakespeare plays she actually liked.  
  
She had been reading for quite a while when Jean and Kitty came in for bed. Jean, who had never seen Rogue actually reading a schoolbook before (though she knew it had to happen sometime, because the girl wasn't failing everything), said curiously "Rogue, aren't you going to go to sleep?"  
  
"Yah, eventually... Ah have a test," she said vaguely. "Ah'll jus' go study in the rec room or somethin'." Gathering up her school supplies, she quickly left the room, closing the door firmly behind her.  
  
"Uh, didn't you guys have detention today?" Jean asked, a dubious look on her face. "What did she do in there for an hour and a half, if she wasn't studying?"  
  
_Oh no, quick, make something up!_ Kitty thought. Rogue had already done her homework, but she had needed to have some excuse to be out of the room, otherwise it would be too hard for her to sneak out without waking up Jean. Laughing nervously, she said "Oh, you know Rogue, always totally procrastinating about everything. She just, like, slept through detention!"  
  
"Jean laughed along with her, and Kitty was relieved; Jean had seemed to buy her excuse. The two continued to ready themselves for bed, and when Jean wasn't looking, Kitty set her alarm for two in the morning. When it went off, she was going to claim that one of the guys must have set it as a practical joke, and she'd make some excuse and go check if Rogue was back. They'd agreed on that part during detention- Rogue was going to just stay on the couch, and claim she'd fallen asleep while studying. Hopefully, no one would suspect anything. Climbing into bed, she tried to fall asleep.  
  
Rogue sat down on the couch, feeling restless. She still had a half hour to kill before she was going to leave, and she tried to write, but she couldn't concentrate; her thoughts were all twisted up inside her head.  
  
Part of her wanted him to really like her, wanted Kitty to be right. But she needed him to just want to use her and trick her, because then she could just reject him, and all these confusing feelings would just fade away into a nice, safe emotion like contempt or hate. Sure, it would hurt, but not half as bad as it would if he really wanted her.  
  
Her feelings would go away, and her dreams were just that- dreams. She would be all right, alone like always. She would be perfectly fine. She couldn't have him; she couldn't have anyone, and she could be all right with that- as long as he didn't want her. Because if Kitty was right, if he really was falling for her, it would break her heart.  
  
Rogue looked at the clock, and got up from the couch. 11:30. Time to go meet her doom. Smiling mirthlessly, she thought _may as well get this over with as quick as possible._ She headed for the door. 


	11. Chapter 11

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 11  
  
The disclaimer went shoe shopping with Kitty. It won't be back for a while....  
  
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post all these chapters- I had most of them written, but I didn't want to post anything until I had this chapter written, otherwise I would have had three chapters worth of reviews going "where's the Rogue and Remy goodness?" So I waited. And then I got a job... so it took even longer. So thank you whoever is still reading this and hasn't lost interest because I didn't post for a week. And special thanks goes out to Ren Elizabeth for her story "Ten Spades," because it was my accent inspiration. Remy's accent is just so hard to write, for some reason! It's a really good story R&R story, so go read it (after you're done with mine, of course!) Okay, enough babbling. On with the story- the long awaited meeting!  
  
From across the park he saw her approaching. The moonlight sparkled across the white streaks in her hair, and lent an ethereal glow to her alabaster skin. Dressed all in black, striding purposefully across the landscape, she was a glorious vision of strength and determination. Remy was bewitched.  
  
At first, Rogue didn't see him, and she almost hoped he hadn't come- then she could just go home and not be forced to deal with her feelings. But as she got closer, she saw a dark shape detach itself from the pool of shadows around the fountain, moving towards her. Her heart sunk. _Now there's no way out of facing him._  
  
They met in front of the fountain, and Remy broke the silence first. "Ah, chere, y' came to see dis poor humble thief afta all." His voice almost sounded happy, and her mind caught on the word thief, but she pushed those thoughts away. She had a purpose!  
  
"Yah, Ah showed up, so whaddy a want?"  
  
A thousand possible responses rushed through his head all at once, and he finally said "to talk, chere, only t' talk."  
  
"'Bout what?" She asked defensively, posture tensed as if to ward off an attack. "If ya want ta know anythin' about the X-Men, Ah ain' gonna tell ya nothing, so don' even botha askin'."  
  
He sighed. "Remy don' wan' know 'bout de X-Men. Ah ain' no spy. Remy only wan' know 'bout you."  
  
Still suspicious, she asked "Whaddya wanna know 'bout me for?"  
  
Instead of answering immediately, he studied her. He could see the thinly veiled fear in her eyes, and wanted to calm her. "Remy would nevah hurt y', chere."  
  
But instead of calming her, his statement made her angry. "Ha! Ya tried ta kill me the day ya met me! "Ah'd say that means you'd definitely be willin' ta hurt me!"  
  
"An' y' wouldn't 'a used your powers on me?" He countered.  
  
She conceded the point, and relaxed her stance a bit. Remy rejoiced at even this small victory. She was a long way from trusting him, but at least she was giving him a chance. "Fahn. But ya still didn't answer mah question."  
  
Taking a deep breath, he thought _Here goes nothing._ "Because chere, y' be beautiful an' fascinatin' an' strong. Y' be somebody wort' knowin'."  
  
She blinked, startled. Whatever she'd been expecting him to say, it hadn't been that. Suddenly, her face clouded. "Ya prob'ly say that ta all the girls. Well, Ah'm not buyin' it."  
  
"No chere, Remy only speak de truth-"  
  
His denial broke the floodgates. Maybe he did think she was beautiful, and everything else he said, and maybe he really did like her, but that just made everything ten times worse. She couldn't touch him, couldn't touch anything with her skin, and she didn't want to feel anything with her heart. She'd still dared to dream of romance, but when she was finally faced with it, she realized what an empty dream it was for her. What good was romance to a girl that couldn't touch? All the weight of her never-to- be fulfilled dreams came crashing down on her at once, and she couldn't deal with it. She had to get rid of him, make him stop wanting her. Had to make herself stop wanting to be loved.  
  
"Ya lie! All your words are lies!" She groped for words, for anything to throw at him to drive him away. "Ah'm just some challenge ta ya, somethin' fun ta use an' throw away. But Ah won' be used by ya, Ah won' let ya lie ta me! Ya come out here, thinkin' ta play a little game with me, An Ah'm havin' none of it! Ah ain' nevah goin' ta be yours, or anybody's, an Ah ain' gonna fall all ovah mahself for ya! If all ya wan' ta do is use me, if ya can't even tall me the truth, then Ah want no part of ya! So just leave me alone!"  
  
But before she could react, she felt his hands gripping her arms, keeping her from running away. She tried to struggle, but he was taller and stronger, she he held her easily. As she looked up at him in sudden fury, he stared straight into her eyes, red pupiled gaze boring into her soul, and she felt like she was falling. He whispered to her "You wan' truth? Remy'll give y' de truth." And before he could talk himself out of it, he leaned in and kissed her.  
  
It was just a quick brush of lips, but he could feel his knees buckling as her power kicked in. Pulling away quickly, he released her arms and stepped back. She fell forward a bit, and caught herself, too shocked to say anything, but unable to be mad as his thoughts and memories flowed through her mind.  
  
With a gloved hand, he gently pushed a snowy white lock away from her eyes. She looked up at him, confusion written all over her features, and he seemed about to say something, but thought better of it. Giving her a sad, apologetic smile, he turned and disappeared into the darkness, leaving her alone with all of her questions in the moonlight. 


	12. Chapter 12

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 12  
  
I own... your soul!  
  
Sorry it's been so long since the last update- this evil thing called work keeps getting in the way! Hopefully it won't take so long anymore to get new chapters up!  
  
Rogue looked around wildly, but he was really gone, like he'd just up and vanished into thin air. Helplessly, she fell to her knees, foreign visions pounding in her head, unfamiliar power thrumming in her veins, and tears rolling down her cheeks. She relived the last few weeks through his eyes, and saw herself in every thought, every memory. She saw how she'd looked to him in battle, the way he'd spied on her at school, and even how he'd looked in her journal.  
  
And in those memories.... She saw love. Even with her complete lack of experience, she instinctively recognized that these were the thoughts of a man in love. Feeling her heart break into a million tiny pieces, she sobbed, howling her grief aloud, running through Bayville like an animal.  
  
She didn't know where she was, where she was going; she just ran until she couldn't anymore. Collapsing in front of a random building on a random street, she panted, taking deep ragged breaths. _Why does he have to feel like that? I can't love anyone, can't be close to anyone.... Why does my life always have to be so messed up like this? Why can't I have just one normal thing?_ But her poison skin wasn't just going to magically vanish overnight, and being able to accept his love was about as possible as breathing on the moon.  
  
She'd promised Kitty she'd come home, but that didn't matter now. She couldn't face Kitty, or anyone; she couldn't deal with their inevitable pity. But where could she go? She didn't have an escape- there was no easy way out of anything anymore.  
  
She sat on the curb, too exhausted to go anywhere. As she started to take notice of her surroundings, trying to figure out where she was, she heard the screech of tires. Unthinkingly, she looked towards the sound, only to be blinded by a pair of headlights.  
  
The vehicle squealed to a sudden stop in front of her, and a familiar figure jumped out. "What are you doing out here, Rogue?" Lance asked. Noticing Rogue's disheveled appearance for the first time, he began to grow worried. _She's a mess- were the X-Men on a mission around here somewhere? Is Kitty around? Is she hurt?_  
  
His thoughts of Kitty were cut short when Rogue looked up at him, dazed, and said "Lance? Ah dunno, dunno anythin', Ah don' know where Ah am..."  
  
Dragging her unceremoniously to her feet, he deposited her in the passenger seat of the Jeep. "Are any of the others here? Is Kitty here?" His hopes of mounting a daring rescue to save Kitty and get back into her good graces were dashed by a simple shake of Rogue's head. "No, Ah went out by mah self."  
  
Sighing, he got into the drivers seat and began driving in the direction of the Institute. If it had been any of the others, (except for Kitty, of course), he would have just left them sitting on the curb without a second thought. But Rogue had been a teammate once, even if it had only been for a little while, and old loyalties died hard. _I couldn't just leave her there,_ he thought, surprised at this sudden emergence of conscience.  
  
Rogue, who'd been silent in the passenger seat, suddenly piped up with "Where are ya takin' me?"  
  
"To the X-Geek palace, where else?" He said with an edge of sarcasm. And then, because he couldn't resist trying to get a dig in, "I didn't know you guys were even allowed out after dark."  
  
"Mind ya own business, Lance. Ain' much of a palace since yoah leader trashed it, an' Ah don' wanna go back there anyhow." She answered, slightly coming back to herself.  
  
"Well, tough! I'm not your chauffeur!" Lance snapped.  
  
"An' Ah nevah asked for yaoh help in the first place! Jus' lemme off heah," she said, accent thickening as she felt her anger rise.  
  
But Lance shook his head vigorously. "No way! Kitty already hates me enough; I'm not just ditching you out here! She'll kill me if you disappear!"  
  
At any other time, she would have argued and won, but she was too exhausted to bother. With a muttered "Fahn," she slumped back into the passenger seat and let him take her back to the Institute.  
  
The effort of keeping her mind blank, feeling nothing, and ignoring Remy's power flowing through her was a severe strain. She pushed memories away, refusing to let any of them touch her- she'd be damned if she'd break down in front of Lance! When he pulled up in front of the gates, she'd never felt so relieved.  
  
As she got out, Lance suddenly said "Rogue- tell Kitty..._ his voice trailed off- what was left to say, really? Even if he had been able to rescue her from something, she'd probably still hate him. "Oh, forget it," he said disgustedly, and drove off, tires squealing.  
  
Rogue slipped back into the mansion, sparing a moment's thought of curiosity for Lance's erratic behavior. Making it back into the rec room, the memories attacked her again, and she couldn't ignore them this time. She spent a long while looking at his eyes in her book, seeing the drawing through his eyes, before finally throwing it across the room in anger.  
  
Curled up into a little ball on the couch, tears running down her face again, she stared at the wall and tried to forget the feel of his lips against her own. 


	13. Chapter 13

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 13  
  
A couple of things to ponder for the next few chapters: 1) If you can't deal with Kitty having a brain, don't read this chapter. Being ditzy does not equal being stupid. I certainly don't think she's stupid, and I refuse to write her that way. 2) Remember, "Self Possessed" hasn't happened yet, so Kurt and Rogue don't know that they're brother and sister. So they wouldn't have that sibling mindset.  
  
_Well, that certainly went well,_ Remy thought dismally. _It'll be a miracle if she'll ever come near me again._ He just kept replaying her words over and over in his head, until they became the beat and rhythm of his footsteps. The accusation wouldn't go away, though. "Ah'm jus' some challenge ta ya, somethin' fun ta use an' throw away," she'd spoken, venom in her voice and fury in her eyes, and he'd felt like he'd been punched in the stomach when she'd said it. Yes, he wasn't exactly innocent; he'd done it before, and he wasn't proud of that, not anymore. But this was different- she was different. She'd been so angry- did she really believe all the things she'd said, or was she just scared?  
  
_And then I went and kissed her!_ But he couldn't quite manage to regret it. It had just felt like the right thing to do at the time, the only way to prove her accusations false. Even if he couldn't put an absolute label on his emotions, he knew they were real. He'd remembered from her file that she absorbed memories along with powers and life energy, and had taken a split second gamble when he kissed her, hoping that his thoughts and memories would come through. _And at least I did get to kiss her; even if she never wants to see me again, at least I'll have that,_ he thought. But he just couldn't believe that she would refuse to see him again.  
  
Though he possessed a definite cynical streak, Remy was by nature an optimist. In this case, despite all the difficulties and dangers, he firmly believed that somehow, things would work out all right. Even though things weren't going very well right now, even though they were on opposing teams and this whole thing had a definite Romeo and Juliet angle, everything would be okay. He would fix it, make it right, make it so they could be together.  
  
In his mind, there had to be something good about him coming to Bayville, something positive to make up for the whole host of negatives about his current situation. He couldn't go home, he was working for a man he wasn't sure he believed in and definitely didn't trust, and once again, he was in the middle of a quickly brewing war. But she was the one good thing- if he'd never come to Bayville, he wouldn't have ever met her.  
  
Growing up steeped in the magic and mysticism of New Orleans, he had a healthy respect for concepts like fate and destiny. There was a reason for everything, and there had to be a reason for him and Rogue, too.  
  
His optimism gave way to seriousness, however, as the conclusion that had been stewing in the back of his mind all night made itself heard. There was no going back, not at this point. Earlier, as he'd been leaving the base, he'd still been unsure. But once he saw her standing there in the moonlight, he'd known he couldn't sit on the fence anymore. He didn't believe in what Magneto was fighting for, and he didn't know how he would live with himself the next time they were all forced into battle together, and he had to watch one of his teammates hurt her- or even worse, break his promise and hurt her himself. He had to leave Magneto's team; the only question was, when? The longer he put it off, the harder it would be to get out. But if he left too soon, he wouldn't know enough to be useful. _And I doubt Xavier will just let me join his outfit out of the goodness of his heart._ Magneto didn't let anyone in on his plans, but if Remy could just find out something, anything, then perhaps that information would be the right price for a place among the X-Men.  
  
Feeling better now that he'd finally come to some kind of decision, he looked up at the night sky and smiled. If letting her absorb his memories hadn't proved anything to her, then he'd find another way. Whatever it took, he'd prove himself to her.  
  
When Kitty's alarm went off at two, she gave Jean her already prepared story, and said she was going to the bathroom, since she was awake now anyways. She left the red head mumbling vague death threats against the boys into her pillow, and had to restrain herself from running down the hall to the rec room. The whole thing was just so exciting- Rogue was finally going to get a boyfriend! She almost started giggling, but remembered just in time that she would wake everyone else up. _Definitely don't want to wake up anyone else tonight!_ she thought, smiling. She'd never been so happy for Rogue about anything!  
  
But as soon as she stepped into the rec room, she knew something was wrong. Narrowly avoiding stepping on Rogue's journal, she carefully picked up the black book and walked cautiously into the room. "Rogue? Are you, like, okay?"  
  
A sniffly voice came from the direction of the sofa. "Yah, Ah'm jus' fahn an' dandy. Go away."  
  
Kitty sighed. Coming around the sofa, she saw Rogue curled up into a little ball, crying. Three playing cards were scattered around on the floor, and Kitty carefully picked those up, laying them and the journal on a nearby table. Perching herself on an arm of the couch, she stared down at the other girl's white streaked hair.  
  
Rogue snapped at her again. "Ah said, go away!" The southern girl sat up, drawing her legs under herself, and glared balefully at Kitty. Mascara streaked her cheeks, and she bore a striking resemblance to death warmed over.  
  
Handing Rogue a tissue, Kitty said sarcastically, "oh yeah, 'cause that ever works on me." Winning a weak grimace of a smile from Rogue, she asked "So, like, what did he do to you?"  
  
"Kitty, he kissed me!" Rogue wailed in despair.  
  
Confused, Kitty said "And that's bad how? Unless he was just trying to, like, use you for information or something..."  
  
Rogue buried her face in her hands. "No, it's worse. He really lahkes me! Ah got his memories- it's lahke he loves me or somethin'!" She described what she'd seen in Remy's memories, and Kitty's eyes widened.  
  
"Like, oh my god! That's totally great, what are you talking about? It's so romantic- kinda stalkerish, but cute. And he loves you- what could be bad about that? Oh my god, you can, like, finally have a boyfriend! No more going to dances and moping around with Risty-"  
  
"No Ah can't! It ain' great, it's hell! Ah can't have a boyfriend, Ah can't even touch 'im! An Ah don' know he loves me, it's jus' what Ah thought, an he ain' even figgered it out yet! Ah gotta figger out a way ta get him ta quit lahkin me!" And as an after thought, "An Ah don't mope, either! We're usually jus' makin' fun of how stupid y'all look out there." She fixed Kitty with another withering glare.  
  
"Whatever you want to call it," the pony tailed girl said breezily. "But, seriously, you can too have a boyfriend! Touching someone is not the only important thing in life, you know. And I know you totally like him, so what's the big deal?" _It's not like she has to marry the guy or anything- you think she'd be happy that someone likes her! At this point we're practically the only single ones left, with the way the new kids are pairing off lately._  
  
"Kitty, are ya totally stupid? Have ya lost yer mind? Did ya jus' lose all memory of the last six months? Ah can't touch anyone! Ever! Ah still can't control it, prob'ly never can- what kind of a boyfriend would want that? He might like me now, but he'd nevah stick around!" She exclaimed bitterly.  
  
"Hello, he like, kissed you Rogue! He knew exactly what was going to happen- as if Magneto wouldn't have warned all of them about your powers before they ever met you, you're the most dangerous one of us all 'cause you can, like, be any of us! And anyways, he didn't fall over and die or anything- he just walked away! Which is totally more than any of the rest of us can ever do when you've touched us in the Danger Room! He did it on purpose, he knew what would happen, and he still wants you anyways! Doesn't that, like, mean anything to you?"  
  
"Yah, it jus' means he's stupid! It's dangerous- what if Ah hurt him, or took too much of him an killed him? That's why Ah don' get close ta anyone in the first place! An besides, ya already tried the West Side Story thing- din' work out too well, now did it sugah?" Rogue drawled.  
  
Kitty was seething. "You just leave me and Lance out of this! At least we, like, tried!" Suddenly, a light bulb went on in her mind, and she suddenly figured the whole thing out. _Rogue is going to totally hate me for this, but maybe it'll help her in the long run.... I'm sure she'll forgive me someday!_ "Oh my god, I just totally figured you out!"  
  
Rogue groaned. "Oh no, not more of yoah stupid psychoanalysis BS. It's worse than the fashion advice!" _I do not want to hear this, I do not want to hear this, I do not want to hear this..._ a voice babbled in her head.  
  
But relentlessly, Kitty continued. "All this time, I wondered why you're not even trying to learn to control your powers. It's just, like, all in your head!"  
  
Rogue was incensed. "Y' jus' shut up! Ya don' know anything about it! Ah can't control it, Ah've tried!"  
  
"Oh, really? Then how come you can, like, manage to control all our powers when they're in your head? You can, like, control Scott's eye beams, and he can't even do it! So don't tell me you can't do the same thing with your own powers! You just don't want to! 'Oh, poor Rogue, she can't control her powers,' and then everyone, like, avoids you, and you get to do the whole angsty thing to match your clothes! You're just scared to, like, get close to anyone, 'cause you don't want to get hurt, so you don't even try! You just, like, hide behind your powers so you never have to take any chances!"  
  
Rogue attacked her. "Oh, so little miss normal thinks she's got me all figgered out? Ha! Ya don't know the half of it, ya don' know what it's lahke at all! Ah thought ya got it, Ah thought ya could be sympathetic, but yer jus' lahke everyone else that's evah stabbed me in the back! So fahn, go on, ya wanna twist the knife too?"  
  
Kitty could have slapped her. She'd known Rogue would be like this- who ever likes having their own flaws revealed- but still! She'd just been acting at first, but now she was really mad at the southern girl. _She's just so stubborn!_ "Fine! If telling you the truth is, like, betraying you, then I'll do it! You wanted him to give you truth, and I'm not going to do any less! you're just a great big coward! You're like, scared of people and friendship and being loved... You're scared of living your own life, so you make up excuses why you can't control your powers so you never have to break down your walls! I, like, totally respected you, but I can't respect a coward!" Getting up off the couch, she walked towards the door. Hating herself for it, but knowing it had to be done, she delivered her parting shot. "I don't hate cowards; I just, like, pity them." With a swish of her ponytail, Kitty was gone.  
  
Rogue had never hated her more. _Vapid airhead! Just 'cause she got into Dr. McCoy's psychology books again, now she thinks she knows everything! Me scared! I'm not scared of anything or anyone! I'm the Rogue! I'm not hiding behind anything, certainly not my powers! They are uncontrollable, and there's nothing wrong with not wanting to get hurt! I'm just not stupid like her, that's all. Ugh! How could I have ever thought we were friends? She's just like all the other dumb girls I've ever met in Bayville._ More than ever, she missed Risty. Risty wouldn't attack her, or spout psychobabble at her; Risty would understand, and Risty wouldn't ever betray her! But where was Risty?  
  
Pondering that unanswerable question, and trying to ignore the insidious little voice in the back of her mind that told her "Kitty is right," exhaustion finally overtook her, and she fell asleep, dreaming about a beautiful blonde woman trying to kill Remy. 


	14. Chapter 14

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Duncan's busy beating up the disclaimer, because he thought it was a mutant. Oh, wait, it is a mutant disclaimer... I guess I better go save it.  
  
The song lyric quoted in this chapter comes from the song "Daphne Descends", from Adore, by the Smashing Pumpkins.  
  
Rogue and Kitty completely ignored each other for the rest of the week. Kitty was angry at Rogue for her refusal to see the truth, and rogue was furious at Kitty for daring to judge her. Rogue refused to even sleep in the same room at night-she'd all but moved into the rec room, only going into the bedroom to change her clothes once the younger girl was gone.  
  
Everyone had noticed the situation, but nobody knew what to do about it. Virtually overnight, completely inexplicably, they'd gone from being close friends to complete enemies! All attempts to discuss the situation were met with polite refusal by Kitty, or a silent death glare from Rogue. Most of the Institute residents just left it alone, figuring it would resolve itself in time; even the Professor couldn't figure out the problem, not without breaking his own rules about privacy of the mind. The only person who couldn't just accept the situation was Kurt, who did everything in his power to get his two friends to start talking to each other again. But even Kurt's persistence had no effect.  
  
On Friday, after an interminably long and silent car ride, Rogue went to her locker before first period, and found a rose in it. Heart hammering painfully in her ribs, she reached out and carefully picked it up from atop her geometry book, and brought the blossom to her face, inhaling the sweet fragrance. She wondered where he was, if he was watching her at that very moment. The idea no longer bothered her so much, especially when she remembered how he'd come to her rescue that day with the girls from p.e. As she'd experienced his memories of watching her, she'd realized desperation he felt, always able to merely watch her, but never be near her. She understood all too well- she knew more than anyone what it was to look but never be allowed to touch.  
  
It had made her feel somewhat closer to him, and more willing to give him a chance. And she had so many questions, about his memories and the dreams she'd had since he kissed her... _It just figures, all this time he's been right there and I wouldn't have wanted him around if I'd known, but now when I want him he's nowhere to be found!_ Things always seemed to work out that way.  
  
She closed her locker and looked around, hoping to see his distinctive trench coat clad figure leaning against a row of lockers nearby, but knowing it was a little too much to hope for. Here, amongst all the students running through the halls, he'd be far too conspicuous.  
  
Carefully tucking the rose into her bag, she walked off towards her first period class. Unbeknownst to her, Kitty had seen the whole thing, and smiled. _Good- she didn't just throw it out. Maybe she did listen to something I said that night after all._ Kitty wasn't really mad anymore- it was hard for her to hold a grudge, and she really did want Rogue to be happy, even if they weren't speaking to each other right now. Even though she'd never spoken to the mysterious Cajun, she wanted things to work out between them. _Because Rogue sure needs to let someone in, and if it's not going to be one of us, then it should at least be someone who loves her._  
  
Even though Kitty found it hard to admit, as different as they were, Rogue was her very best friend. Sure, she was very close to Kurt, and she and Amanda had recently gotten to know each other better, but nobody could replace Rogue's friendship. It had hurt her so much to have to do that to the gothic girl, and deep down, she was scared Rogue would never forgive her. _I never thought I'd say this, but I miss her._ They hadn't started out on the best of terms, but that had changed. She could only hope that the same miracle would happen twice. Sighing, she headed off to her own first period class, wondering why helping her friend had to hurt so much.  
  
Rogue spent all of first period staring out the window, thinking about what she'd say when she saw him again. Since she hadn't been speaking to Kitty, or anyone else, really, she'd had plenty of time to think lately. Although she was no coward- _how dare the girl even think it!_- there had been a grain of truth in some of Kitty's other statements, though she'd rather die than admit it.  
  
She did push people away, claiming that it was for their own good, but it was really to protect herself, her own sanity. She could never forget the way she'd discovered her powers- she would have thought, having someone who could see the future for a guardian, that she would have had some warning, but Irene had told her nothing. She would never forget the stunned and horrified look on Cody's face as he'd crumpled into unconsciousness at her feet. Ever since, she'd secretly harbored a fear of kissing anyone- what if it was more potent, what if she took more with a kiss than with just a simple hand to hand touch? All the emotions involved in a kiss scared her- what if she actually killed someone by kissing them, if she took more of their energy? Even though she knew it hadn't been her fault- she hadn't even known she was a mutant when it had happened- she still blamed herself for Cody's coma. She always would. And she was terrified she'd do it again, to someone she loved. So, far safer to never love anyone, to never be in a situation where she could possibly give in to temptation.  
  
Unfortunately, though, she hadn't had control of the situation when Remy had kissed her, and she had completely freaked out. Hence, her run across Bayville like a madwoman. The next day, she'd realized how much she'd overreacted- he had been fine, mysteriously- she'd harbored the thought that maybe she had been learning some control after all. Even though she had no intention of testing out her control theory, it was still a partially comforting thought. It proved that Kitty was wrong about some things- she really was trying to master her powers!  
  
She'd finally come to the conclusion that maybe it could be all right to let someone else in. Hell, since she wasn't friends with Kitty anymore, and Risty had vanished without a trace, there was certainly enough room for another friend in her life. It didn't have to be dangerous- aside from in the Danger Room, when they had to touch her, no one had ever touched her on purpose and gotten hurt by her at the Institute; and even though Risty hadn't known about her mutation, she'd always respected Rogue's avoidance of touch and insistence on full-coverage clothing. As long as Rogue could get him to understand that he could never try to touch her again, she would try to make friends with Remy. He'd get over loving her someday; besides, her interpretation of his feelings was probably wrong, anyways. She could never let herself love him, but maybe they could at least be friends.  
  
The morning passed in a blur, and when the bell rang for lunch, she made her way to her usual spot. It had only taken one lunch period of her staring daggers at Kitty to make Kurt decide that it would be best for her to resume her anti-social habits. As she neared the bleachers, she turned aside suddenly, eyes alighting on the tree Remy had always watched her from. Its broad, leafy boughs spread a circle of shade around the trunk, and on a whim, Rogue sat down, leaning her back against the smooth bark. It was quiet and cool beneath the shade of the tree, and her mind drifted back in time, remembering picnics under other trees, and leaves hanging heavy in summer's heat. She missed home, the sound of other voices like hers, missed grits with every meal and the taste of Irene's cooking. It was so ironic- she'd met so many new people, been to plenty of crazy places and tried to fight the good fight; she was living the adventurous, exciting life she'd always dreamed of as a child- and she'd give it all up in a heartbeat, just for the chance to go home and be normal again. An insidious little voice asked her _everything? Even Remy?_ and she honestly didn't know. She didn't really know him at all, other than a handful of memories that were more confusing than enlightening; and she almost felt that his feelings for her were more a burden than a blessing. She couldn't define her own feelings on the situation very well, either- did she want to push him away so much because she was scared she'd be unable to live up to her resolve not to fall for him? And if she did fall for him, was it merely some kind of infatuation with his looks? Did he merely represent her only chance for something as normal as a relationship? Or was it possible that she could want him for himself, because he was Remy and she was Rogue, and it was possible that they could have something wonderful like what Scott and Jean had? It was too confusing, trying to analyze her emotions this way.  
  
Sighing, she settled her headphones over her ears and switched on her Discman, letting the Smashing Pumpkins flow over her mind. Suddenly, lyrics caught at her ears, and her heart lurched. It's the perfect hassle, for the perfumed kiss, he makes you miss him more than home....." She knew the next lines, knew what was coming, and didn't want to hear it. _I don' love him, I don't love anybody,_ she thought as she violently punched the button to skip to the next song.  
  
A shadow fell over her, and she looked up, blinking, confused. She'd been looking so hard for him all morning that it took her a moment to realize he was really there. "Remy?"  
  
He smiled down at her, red-on-black eyes locking with her own, and said "none otha'. Dis tree taken, chere?" Before she could reply, he'd settled next to her, back leaning against the trunk, long legs stretched out before him.  
  
Rogue took off her headphones, placing them next to her on the grass. "So what're ya doin' heah?" She asked stupidly. _Brilliant. All the things I've been thinking of all day, all the questions I want to ask him, and that's the best I can come up with?_  
  
Giving her an "isn't it obvious?" look, he said, "Chere, Remy wan' ta apologize fer kissin' y' de other night. Ah din' mean t' scare ya."  
  
Again, he'd surprised her. Not knowing what to say, she stammered "Uh, okay," looking away from him self consciously. They sat in awkward silence for a moment, and then Remy started to say something.  
  
"Chere-"  
  
Rogue broke in. "Why do ya always call me that?"  
  
Taken aback, Remy blinked. "Is jus' what Remy call ya. If y' prefer, Remy can call y' somethin' else. Ah don' know y' real name t' call ya by it." He shrugged. He really didn't have a reason for it- the word just slipped in when he spoke to her. It just felt right somehow to call her that.  
  
"Mah real name is Rogue. It's the only one Ah got." She said defiantly. He said nothing, merely watching her to see if she was going to continue. After a moment, she did, her voice much softer. "Ah gave it to mah self." She wasn't sure why she wanted to tell him this particular story- she hadn't even told the story of her name to her closest friends! Maybe it was just a way to even out the scales by giving him something of her own life to balance out his memories in her head.  
  
Taking a deep breath, she began the tale. "Ah can't remember mah real parents at all. Somethin' bad must a happened to 'em- when Ah was four, a social worker found me hidin' out in some alley in Caldecott County, an took me t' the local orphanage. One of the women workin' there called me 'a little rogue,' an even though Ah din' know what it meant, Ah lahked how it sounded. Since Ah din' remember mah real name, Ah tole 'em mah name was Rogue. It's all Ah been called since."  
  
She paused for breath, and said in a soft quiet voice, eyes downcast, "They nevah found mah parents, nevah figured out anythin' about who Ah really was. Ah used ta wonder sometimes, if they were still alive somewhere, an they jus' lost me or somethin'... Would they wan' me back now, if they knew what Ah was?" She practically whispered the last thought, and Remy had to lean in close to hear it. She suddenly looked up, and seeing him so close to her, she jumped back in surprise. She wanted to tell him not to get so close to her, not to lean into her like that, but the words just wouldn't come. It struck her that she didn't want to tell him to move away from her, and she scooted a few inches away from him. _See how well the resolution to not like him is working,_ she thought sarcastically at herself.  
  
Remy was bothered by her reaction, but he said nothing about it. Instead, he reached forward, and brushed her snowy white bangs out of her eyes, forcing her to look up at him. She flinched away from his touch, and he inwardly sighed. "Remy be sure dey would wan' y'. Ya ain' done nothin' but t' make 'em proud. Yer one a' de good guys, non?"  
  
"Yah, Ah guess so..." she said thoughtfully, looking a little bit less downcast. "What 'bout you, Remy?" She asked, eager to change the subject away from herself.  
  
"Remy be an orphan, too. Ah was livin' on de streets, pickin' pockets so's Ah could eat, an Ah got caught tryin' t' pick de pocket of de Guild Father himself. 'Course, Remy din' know who he was at de time; but de man took me in, gave me his name an a good livin' too."  
  
Rogue had heard stories about New Orleans life from Irene, who had spent part of her life there, but never one as far fetched as this one. "The Thieves Guild? But that's jus' some myth, some story somebody made up ta keep the tourists from pokin' round too much! None 'a that's real! Lemme guess, Ah suppose yer gonna tell me the pretty blonde lady who was tryin' ta kill ya is part of the Assassins, too. Tellin' me fairy tales," she muttered scoldingly.  
  
Remy was surprised. He'd tried to think only of Rogue when he'd kissed her, but she'd somehow ended up with a memory of Belladonna! Suddenly, the school bell rang loudly, signaling the end of Rogue's lunch period, and he felt guiltily relieved- now he'd have a chance to figure out how to explain the whole thing to her.  
  
He stood to go, and Rogue thought he was going to ignore her comment, but he said mildly "Dat be de truth- she is one 'a dem Assasins." He smiled at her and continued with "Meet Remy again at the fountain tonight- mebbe y' get de rest of de story." He turned away, but Rogue's voice stopped him.  
  
"Remy," she called, and he turned to face her, "Ya can say it, ya know." And then, wonder of all wonders, she actually smiled at him. He felt like he'd just pulled off the most incredible heist in history. Laughing, he smiled back at her and said "A'right, chere," before turning and quickly vanishing around the far corner of the gym building.  
  
Rogue stared after his retreating form, still smiling absently. Maybe things were going to turn out all right after all. But her momentary happiness was stilled when an accusatory voice from behind her demanded "Rogue, vhat vere you doing vith him? He is the enemy!"  
  
_Oh no, busted!_ Was all Rogue could think as she turned to face her angry friend. 


	15. Chapter 15

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 15  
  
Pyro burned the disclaimer to a crisp.... Poor disclaimer, it gets so abused!  
  
And speaking of Pyro.... I have no idea how to write his accent. So if I get it completely wrong, give me helpful suggestions please!  
  
As Remy walked into the warehouse, he was whistling an annoyingly jaunty French tune. Even nearly getting his trench coat burned by St. John, who was practicing with his flame throwers again, couldn't put a damper on his spirits.  
  
Shedding his coat as he went to his own corner of the practice area, he began stretching, preparing to go through a routine with his staff. He had nervous energy to burn, and working out was the only inconspicuous way of getting it out of his system.  
  
As he went through the movements of the sequence, he focused his mind, reining in his emotions. Breathing evenly, using carefully controlled, fluid motions, he completed one pattern, and began another. He could hear St. John babbling on about something- he had apparently stopped playing with fie long enough to watch Remy- but it was all just meaningless background noise until he heard the other man say "An wot's with yeh lately, anyhow? Yeh got a sheila in the side or sommat?"  
  
With a sudden violence that surprised him, Remy had St. John backed up against the wall, with his staff pressed u0p against the smaller man's throat. "Remy ain' got no femme, mon ami. A'right?"  
  
St. John looked at the Cajun, uncomfortable for a moment, and then said, with easy acceptance of the situation, "Sure mate, wotever yeh say." Being not quite sane allowed him to accept other people's craziness with equanimity.  
  
Remy lowered the staff and tried to resume his routine, but his concentration had been broken and the calm equilibrium he sought had been shattered. Sighing, he gave up, and left the room, coat and staff in hand.  
  
Behind him, St. John seemed to have forgotten Remy's violent outburst; he was nattering on again, mumbling to himself about his current obsession. He'd caught a glimpse of her on a spy mission to the Xavier Institute a few weeks earlier, and since then, he'd ramble on about her at any opportunity. Seems she had the ability to control fire like he did. Her name was some volcano thing- Lava or Molten Heat or something silly like that; Remy could never remember, and didn't much care in the first place.  
  
As he closed the door, he could hear St. John saying "I tall yah, wot's not t' love about a girl who can set 'erself on fire like that?"  
  
Remy rolled his eyes, heading down the hall to the bathroom for a much needed shower. _The things some people find attractive,_ he thought with a small smile, remembering the irresistible allure of Rogue's untouchable moonlit skin.  
  
As Rogue turned to face Kurt, she could see how angry he was. Kurt's tail was swishing in agitation, no longer covered by the hologram, and Rogue mutely pointed at it, scared someone would see. With a growl, he got it under control and hidden again.  
  
"Vell? Vhat vas that?" He demanded again, and Rogue's bad mood returned.  
  
"None of yoah business!" She spat. "Or do ya not trust me anymore? Ya think Ah'm some kind 'a spy now, is that it?" Hands on her hips, feet planted firmly, she suddenly reminded him of a wild animal preparing to charge.  
  
"Uh, nein! But vhy vere you vith him, then? You know who he works for!"  
  
"Yah, Ah know, but do ya see Magneto heah? Ah don' think so! Remy ain' who he works for, no more'n y' are." At this point, Rogue wasn't sure if she was defending Remy, or merely her own decisions.  
  
"Oh, it's Remy now, is it? He's still the enemy, Rogue- you don't know anything about him! How can he be trusted? And vhat about all the things you could be giving avay to him about the Institute or the X-Men?" Kurt didn't know how to explain the depths of his worry to her. She was one of his best friends, and he was scared for her, that she could get hurt, or be kidnapped. She'd been smiling at him- Rogue, the girl who never smiled at anyone! It was like he was her new best friend or something, like she didn't even see the danger.  
  
"Ah have had it with mah friends passin' judgement on me! Ya either trust me ta not betray yer secrets or ya don't, an Ah guess ya don't! An Ah thought ya'll had finally quit holdin' mah bein' in the Brotherhood against me, but Ah guess Ah was wrong 'bout that, too. Yer jus' a great big hypocrite, Kurt Wagner! Ah trust ya ta not tell Amanda secret things, but ya can't trust me ta do the same! What kind of a friend are you anyway?" She was absolutely disgusted- first Kitty calling her a coward, and now Kurt was calling her a betrayer. _Anyone else planning on assassinating my character this week?_ she wondered, seething.  
  
Meanwhile, to Kurt, Rogue's outburst had seemed to come from nowhere. He could almost understand why Kitty wasn't speaking to her. "Nein! The Brotherhood has nothing to do with this! And I am not judging you! Vhat if you get hurt, vhat if he's the one trying to be spy? Of course I trust you, Rogue, but I don't have any reason to trust him!"  
  
Somewhat mollified, Rogue said "Oh," feeling slightly stupid for going off at him that way. In an almost pleading tone, she said "Look, Kurt, ya said ya trust me, so jus' keep trustin' me. Ah know he ain' gonna hurt me, and Ah know he ain' tryin' ta be a spy." As Kurt opened his mouth, she held up a hand to forestall his question. "Don' bother askin, Ah ain' gonna tell ya. Ah jus' know. Remy- he's a'right." A faint blush was discernable under all the layers of makeup, and Kurt felt vaguely surprised and embarrassed- anything that could make her blush was probably something he didn't want to know about in the first place.  
  
But something in his head couldn't leave it alone, and he suddenly remembered Amanda's comment from earlier in the week, about Rogue having a crush on someone. He'd scoffed then, but what if Amanda had unknowingly been right? _Does she have a crush on that Acolyte?_ He wondered briefly, before dismissing the thought. _No, of course not- Kitty might be ditzy enough to fall for someone on the other side, but Rogue wouldn't do that._ Convincing himself of Rogue's sensibility, he was willing to let the matter drop.  
  
Rogue was glad to drop the subject, especially when she realized how long they'd been standing around. "Kurt, we're gonna be late for class, an Ah don' wanna get a detention for ditchin' when Ah didn't do it!"  
  
Kurt shook his head. "That's vhy I came out here in the first place. Classes are cancelled- the power's out. So ve're all going back home, and Scott sent me to get you."  
  
Rogue narrowed her eyes. "Didn't Bobby an Ray have a bio test sixth period?"  
  
Kurt nodded conspiratorially. "Ja- I heard someone say it looks like all the fuses vere shorted out at once!" They both knew only one person who could manipulate electricity enough to fry all the circuit breakers at once.  
  
"They are so busted!" Rogue laughed triumphantly. "Karmic revenge on Bobby for freezin' mah shoes! An' Ray's jus' a bonus."  
  
Still laughing, they walked to Scott's car, all conflict apparently forgotten. 


	16. Chapter 16

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 16  
  
Just went and saw Texas Chainsaw Massacre.... I've never seen a more frightening movie in my life. I screamed so much I thought I was going to lose my voice. Hopefully typing and posting a few chapters will help take my mind off it so I don't have nightmares...  
  
Disclaimer: Sue me, and I'll sic the flying monkeys on you.  
  
Everyone assembled by Scott's convertible, talking and joking about extra weekend party time or complaining about their lack of plans.  
  
Rogue was one of those in the lack of plans category- sure, she was meeting up with Remy again, but that wasn't exactly information for the public record. She sighed- before Risty had disappeared, she'd had plans for nearly every Friday night. Before the Sentinel mess, she and Risty used to sneak into Duncan's almost weekly keggers to heckle the drunk people. Neither of them drank- Rogue was always scared she'd forget not to touch people, and Risty had never explained her reasons. But they'd always had a great time- drunk people were hilarious to make fun of.  
  
On the rare nights when Duncan wasn't partying, they'd gone downtown to their favorite coffee house and listen to poetry readings or local bands playing for open mic night. But Rogue hadn't been back since Risty had disappeared- that place was their hangout, and it felt too strange to go there alone now.  
  
She shook her head, determined not to think depressing thoughts. Looking around, she saw Amara on her cell phone, presumably calling the Institute to get a ride for the new recruits, and it dawned on her why they were all standing around together. Safety in numbers. The new mutants were younger and less experienced with controlling their powers, and were less able to avoid resorting to their powers when provoked. With their positions at school being so precarious, even one person using powers in a fight would be enough to get them all expelled.  
  
She looked around again, catching both Bobby and Ray's eyes, and flashing them an evil grin. They both looked visibly scared, and huddled together in conference, hurriedly trying to figure out a way to bribe Rogue into not ratting them, out to the Professor.  
  
Ororo finally arrived in the van, and the older team piled into Scott's car. While everyone else excitedly discussed an upcoming concert, Rogue leaned her head back against the seat and let her mind wander. It had been one strange lunch period- she had never in a million years expected to be able to just sit down and talk with Remy like that. She had told him things no one else knew about her- and it didn't really bother her.  
  
In her mind's eye she saw him again, sitting under the tree with her, listening to her with an intent, earnest expression on his face. He had really listened to her, been interested in what she had to say. It was a revelation- maybe there was more to him than she thought.  
  
There had been something subtly different about him, too, and she puzzled at it, until she finally figured it out- he wasn't wearing his uniform. It was the first time she'd seen him in casual clothes. It was a little bit surreal- made him seem more human, more normal. Less like an enemy Acolyte, and more like just another person. _I guess even Acolytes get a day off here and there,_ she thought, trying not to laugh. Somehow, she couldn't imagine any of the rest of them taking a day off- especially not Sabretooth, or that crazy guy with the flamethrowers.  
  
She spent the rest of the ride amusing herself by imagining the things the other Acolytes would do on a day off. When they arrived back at the Institute, the teenagers went to drop off their stuff and get snacks, and then immediately split up into their work groups. During the reconstruction process, instead of having training sessions, they all honed their talents in different ways. The construction firm was living up to its reputation for discretion and speed, but there were plenty of things the students could do to speed the process up even more. Aside from mundane tasks like painting rooms and attaching doorknobs, there were things which mutant powers were uniquely suited for, like telekinetically lifting antennas onto the roof, or melting a walkway into solidity.  
  
The Professor believed that having the students help out made them feel like the house was their home, not just a place to stay. They felt more a part of it, more like they belonged in it. Living in a mansion could be daunting, especially to those who came from poorer families, and he wanted all his students to feel like it was equally theirs. He wanted them to always view the mansion as home, and their teammates as family. In striving to create a family atmosphere, he gave all of them permission to decorate their rooms to suit their individual tastes, and provided all the students with a personal allowance. It was also the reason he insisted on communal meals and chore rosters- these were all normal, homey things, and even though his students had extraordinary powers, they needed to have as much of a normal, ordinary life as possible.  
  
When he had first brought up the idea of having the students help in the rebuilding process, Rogue had been less than thrilled. _Great, physical labor,_ she'd thought, wondering how her particular mutation could be useful in the world of construction. But surprisingly, her powers had been extremely useful. Since all it took was a simple touch, she could take in someone's powers, and lend an additional helping hand in almost any project. The only disadvantage was in absorbing so many memories- sometimes, when she'd been involved in lots of different projects and had absorbed lots of different people's powers and memories, her mind would become so full that she'd momentarily forget who she was. It was like her own thoughts and feeling would get lost in the chaos. It made her head hurt so much that sometimes she understood Lance's addiction to painkillers, and it frightened her a little bit, to lose her own self even a little bit, but she refused to tell the Professor. He'd just make her stop, and then she'd just be sitting on the sidelines with her useless mutation once again.  
  
Luckily, this had been one of the easy days. She'd been down in the ruins of the Danger Room, working with some of the new recruits to move out the biggest pieces of broken machinery. The only power she'd had top borrow was Roberto's solar induced super strength, and his memories had been safe, happy ones of winning soccer matches.  
  
As the sun started to go down, repair efforts ceased, and there was a mad dash for the showers. Rogue wandered inside at a leisurely pace- there would be plenty of time for her to take a shower later, since she wasn't going out until much later in the evening. She passed Scott and Jean standing in the hallway; as she walked by, Scott was hanging up the phone. She heard him tell Jean "That was Alex- he got stranded in Mexico City- some surfing competition. His parents are on some vacation cruise and he can't reach them, so I said I'd bail him out. I better get going if I want to make the next flight out." As she turned the corner, she heard Jean telling him to be careful, and she rolled her eyes. _Scott's brother is such a moron!_ She'd only met him a couple of times, but he'd never struck her as being particularly intelligent.  
  
As she walked down the long hallway to the elevators, she looked around, glad the mansion was being rebuilt so quickly. Hopefully, she'd be able to ask the Professor if she'd be able to have a room of her own.  
  
Collapsing on the couch on the rec room, the headache that had been quietly lingering all afternoon suddenly increased in intensity, nearly blinding her with pain. Flashes of memories swirled in her head, and she groped for the bottle of painkillers she'd left on the end table. A memory of Fred's danced its way across her tortured brain, and a sudden cracking noise came to her hears. She'd definitely found the pill bottle- it was crushed in her hand. Entire body shaking, she managed to get a few of the tablets out of the mangled body, and swallowed them dry.  
  
Hands clenched into fists, her body curled up into a little ball in the crook of the couch, she willed the stray memories away. She repeated "Ah am not losin' mah mind" over and over to herself until she finally passed out. 


	17. Chapter 17

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 17  
  
Big fat authors note: Sorry you're only getting one chapter at a time.... It's really hard for me to stay up late enough to type and post a bunch of chapters all at once. The good side is, you get one chapter every day, instead of four every two weeks. So, it all works out. Please keep reviewing! I know my story is going somewhere, but if no one else thinks so, I'll tighten it up a bit. But I don't know if you don't tell me! This chapter and the next are the last transitional chapters for a bit- just get through these two, and you'll be at lots of gooey goodness. I promise! you'll just have to wait for it- the good stuff should be up by Thursday. If anyone was bothered by Rogue's flashbacks and memory problems in the last chapter, here's my reason. Psychological problems don't just happen over night. I was really upset how they portrayed it in the episode as just being something so sudden. To me, the psyches crowding her out of her own mind is something that's been going on for a while, and the only reason she lost control of it at the concert, as opposed to anywhere else, was because so many people were around her, and then a bunch of people touched her all at once. It was more than she could handle at that time. At this point in the story, Rogue is bothered by it, a little bit scared, but she thinks that if she just doesn't absorb so many people, it'll go a way on its own. She doesn't realize how serious a problem it really is.  
  
But enough of my blabbering- on with the story!  
  
She woke several hours later, hungry but without the skull- splitting pin. The clock said it was a little after nine- dinner had come and gone hours before, and she still needed a shower.  
  
She went down the hall to the room she used to sleep in, and found it to be free of a certain traitorous pony tailed girl. Selecting clothing and grabbing her makeup case, she headed to the bathroom. Food could wait; she stank now.  
  
Washing off her makeup as she waited for the water to warm up, she stared at her bare face in the mirror. She hated her makeup, hated it with a passion and a vehemence reserved for few other things. She'd always had gothic tendencies; even back in Mississippi she'd favored darker colors and worn heavier makeup than the other girls at her school. But after the disastrous night her powers had manifested, it had become an unremovable mask, a shell she was unable to shed. It used to be purely her choice to dress the way she did and wear such heavy makeup; now it was survival. Anyone could wear dark colors, but it was the heavy, almost scary makeup that really kept everyone away. And she hated the necessity of it; sometimes she even hated herself, what she'd become in these last few months, the war painted stranger whose reflection stared back at her from mirrors and asked accusingly "What have you done to me?"  
  
In the last few weeks, since they'd been exposed and gone back to school, she'd toyed with the idea of not wearing it- but as much as she loathed it, she was scared to go without it. Without that image to project, that role to fulfill, what would she be? Everyone, even the other Institute kids, expected her to fit a certain mold. She was remote and detached and cynical; she shopped at Hot Topic and listened to angry depressing music; she had no friends and no life and spent all her free time reading vampire novels and writing bad poetry. That's all anyone saw of her- all anyone wanted to see of her. And granted, most of it was true- but shouldn't it be her choices, and not their expectations, that shaped her personality? She'd never thought about things that way before, and she decided at that moment that she was going to start living up to her name. She was the Rogue, she didn't care what anyone thought- it was time to start acting like it. Time to start being her own person. Feeling like a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders, she stepped into the shower.  
  
Remy lay back on his bed, absently flipping a card between his fingers. He hadn't really been thinking straight when Rogue had asked him about the stray memory. Sure, he probably owed her an explanation for at least that memory- but to explain that one, he'd have to explain everything else too. Sighing, he fought the little voice in his head urging him to cover it up and just hide the truth from her. But finally, morality won out over expediency. _I said I'd tell her the truth, and that means she has to know everything. It's up to her to judge my actions._ He had done a lot of shameful things in his life, but he did have a few things to be proud of as well.  
  
Rolling over on his side, he stared past the card in his hand at the bleakness of his quarters. Bare metal walls stared back at him, nothing like the sumptuous richness of his room in the Guild house back home. _Not home anymore,_ he reminded himself for the millionth time.  
  
The Guild house had paintings in every room, and beautiful silk wallpaper in the halls. His old bedroom had been one of the finest, due to his status within the organization- it had boasted a solid oak four poster bed complete with vibrant satin sheets, deeply plush carpeting, and furniture that had probably been around since before the Civil War. He remembered when he'd first seen it as a child, he'd been intimidated- at the time, it had sumptuousness beyond his wildest imaginings. Now, he looked back on it fondly, missing its character and vitality. Everything about his life now was lifeless and stifled; the room where he slept was just the smallest tip of the iceberg on that score.  
  
Flicking the card onto the dresser, the only other piece of furniture in the room, he watched without interest as it landed perfectly in line with the other fifty one cards at the top of the deck. With a grimace, he flung himself off the bed and rummaged around in the sparsely filled drawers for something to wear. Although other women might appreciate him showing up at midnight in nothing but undergarments, he couldn't imagine Rogue appreciating the gesture. _With how uptight that girl is about exposed skin, she really wouldn't react well at all._ Stopping thoughts of exposed skin before they could go somewhere dangerous, he dressed in dark jeans and a close fitting black tee shirt. Running his fingers through his hair, he momentarily wished for a mirror. But Piotr had broken all the mirrors in a fit of anger right after he'd arrived here, and Magneto hadn't had them replaced.  
  
It was annoying, but it had been hilarious to watch Pietro dart around the warehouse like a hummingbird on crack, searching frantically for any reflective surface that he could use to style his hair. They'd all howled with laughter upon finding the vain teenager in the kitchen, staring at his reflection in the curved dome of a metal bowl; even Magneto, who never saw the humor in anything, had cracked a smile. It was the closest they'd ever come to bonding as a team- laughing at Magneto's idiot son. Sad, really.  
  
He'd thought about that day a lot lately as he'd been struggling with his decision to leave. He owed a debt of loyalty to Magneto for offering him a ways out of New Orleans at a bad time; he did like Piotr and St. John, even though the former never really talked and the latter was crazier than a jaybird. But those reasons weren't enough- maybe they never had been. He might have spent his whole life as a thief, but he wasn't sure he wanted to spend the rest of it as a terrorist, which is how the public labeled them. And he couldn't imagine spending the rest of his life just sitting back and letting himself be used for his mutant abilities, which was what Magneto was doing.  
  
Even though he didn't want to admit it, he envied the X-Men for their obvious family mentality. Even the Brotherhood had some semblance of closeness. But here at the Acolyte base, it was considered a good day if no one had tried to kill you before breakfast. Magneto needed his powers, needed his skills, but all the rest was just unnecessary, dismissed. But at least he knew where he stood with the man. If- when- he left, it would be irrevocable. He only hoped that he wasn't walking right into another situation where he was only going to be used again.  
  
Shaking his head at his pointless musings, he laced his boots, slid into his familiar trench coat, and pocketed the cards from the dresser. Giving the lifeless room one last glance, he quietly closed the door. 


	18. Chapter 18

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 18  
  
The disclaimer is sleeping it off in the parking lot...  
  
Rogue dressed and blew her hair dry, and stared at her makeup case, sitting there on the bathroom counter so innocently. She opened it hesitantly, and stared at the jumbled contents inside. Looking at her reflection again, she came to a decision. Forgoing her usual mask of makeup, she left her flawless skin bare of foundation, opting for a lighter shading of lavender shadow, a single stroke of mascara, and a light application of her favorite purplish- black lipstick. She was still goth, but not scary. She was wearing a simple outfit, soft purple sweater and unripped tight black jeans, along with her usual combat boots. The overall effect was startling- her only thought was _I look pretty!_  
  
Shaking her head at the unusual thought, she gathered up her belongings and walked back down the hall to toss her dirty clothes in the bin and put her makeup away. As she passed the table where the phone usually sat, she noticed that it wasn't on the cradle, but nobody seemed to be around to use it. Taking a closer look, she saw that the phone cord trailed off into the wall. No longer interested once she realized who was using it, she stomped off huffily down the hall.  
  
At that moment, Kitty phased back through the wall and hung up the phone. Seeing Rogue stomping down the hall, she sighed quietly. _That girl can keep a grudge batter than anyone else I've ever met,_ she thought sadly. Leaning against the wall, she waited for the southerner to come out of the room, knowing better than to try to share space with her. Rogue finally walked out, and Kitty went in. Even the thought of her impromptu date couldn't lift her spirits. It seemed her worst fears had come true when she'd confronted the other girl about her stubbornness- Kitty had lost a friend.  
  
Rogue wandered into the kitchen, intent on finding a snack, and was surprised to see Kurt there, fixing himself an ice cream sundae of epic proportions.  
  
"Kurt, what're ya doin' here? Ah thought y' were goin' out with Amanda."  
  
He turned, surprised by her sudden entrance. When he heard her question, his shoulders slumped and his fuzzy, pointed ears drooped. His tail swinging back and forth sadly, he told her "Ja, ve vere, but my inducer died again. I vas trying to save the kitchen from Kitty's attempts at cooking, and something spilled on it."  
  
Rogue nodded, not wanting to discuss the girl. Good thing she'd missed dinner after all. "Wait- why din't she jus' come here?"  
  
He looked pained. "Her parents cornered her- they had someone from their church come over to 'talk' to 'Manda about dating a mutant. It makes me sick- I know just vhat they're going to tell her. They're going to say that mutants are people too, but they're different from normal humans so she shouldn't be dating one." She'd never heard Kurt sound so bitter. "Und it's vorse. They vant me to come over for dinner, too. Probably just to tell me in person to leave their daughter alone. 'Manda thinks they will like me vhen they meet me, enough to forget about me being a mutant, but vhat happens vhen they see vhat I really look like? They'll call the police! Or the pound! They'll never let us be together!" His voice was frantic, and Rogue completely understood, but she didn't know what to say.  
  
Out of everyone, Kurt had the hardest time coming to terms with their exposure on national television. Even though no one had yet made the connection between the German exchange student and the blue furry mutant from the Sentinel footage, Amanda's parents knew where he lived and what he was. Even though they merely wanted what was best for their only daughter, their close mindedness, Amanda's naiveté, and Kurt's oversensitivity were a dangerous combination.  
  
Giving him a sympathetic look, she gently patted his shoulder with a gloved hand. Moving past him, she poked around, looking for something edible. Finding leftover chicken, she piled some on a plate and placed it in the microwave. Turning around, she found Kurt staring at her.  
  
"What?" She asked him irritable, suddenly feeling self conscious.  
  
Kurt just shrugged. "You just look different, that's all."  
  
"Whatevah. Ah can't change my look without permission now or somethin'?"  
  
Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, he grabbed his ice cream and with the familiar sulfur smell, *bamf* he was gone. Behind her, the microwave beeped, and she sat down t the table, munching thoughtfully.  
  
He almost made it out of headquarters without being detained by his teammates- a minor miracle- when the metal door he was holding onto suddenly clanged shut.  
  
He turned and saw Magneto, arms folded over his chest, staring at him intently. "Mr. LeBeau," he said, deep voice resonating in the small chamber, "And where might you be skulking off to at this time of night?"  
  
Thinking quickly, Remy replied with feigned nonchalance "Remy not be master thief much longer without practicin' de skills, non?"  
  
Magneto smiled indulgently at the young Cajun, but something dangerous glinted in his cold, dark eyes. "By all means, then; don't let me detain you." The door swung open behind him, and Remy turned to go, feeling a palpable sense of relief. But Magneto's voice once again stopped him.  
  
"Just do be careful with what you steal this time Gambit; don't get too... absorbed, hmm?" His voice was predatory and knowing.  
  
Somehow, he managed not to shudder. Giving a -hopefully- flippant head toss, he managed to make it out the door this time. Hearing it slam securely behind him, he wasted no time hightailing it out of there.  
  
Inside the warehouse, a rough voice spoke from the shadows. "Magnus, he stinks of her."  
  
"It will be taken care of, Victor- it is none of your concern." He stepped past the feral man and exited the room, pondering ways to include Rogue's special talents in his plans. Oh yes, she could be very useful indeed. _Never give an enemy any leverage, my dear,_ he thought maliciously. _Didn't dear old Charles teach you any better than that?_  
  
Behind him, Sabretooth merely growled. Throwing open the door, he sniffed the air, and was gone into the night.  
  
Bobby and Ray roamed the institute halls, desperately searching for Rogue.  
  
"Man, she's gotta be here somewhere! It's not like she's got a life or anything!" Bobby groused.  
  
"Oh, yeah, 'cause talking that way's gonna get her to cut us some slack," Ray snapped back, electricity crackling around him.  
  
"What if she already told him? We're gonna be so dead!"  
  
Ray just laughed. "You're the one who was dumb enough to freeze her shoes!"  
  
"Maybe, but you're the one that shorted out the school! If I'm going down, you are too!"  
  
"I dunno ice cube, I think she hates you more right now..."  
  
"Man, will you just shut up? We looked everywhere! We're so busted!" As an afterthought "And it's Iceman! Not ice cube!"  
  
Suddenly, Ray punched him in the arm, and Bobby looked up, horrified to see the Professor wheeling down the hall towards them. _Man, don't panic, don't panic!_ He thought frantically. _Don't think about it! Think about something else! Like school- not school! Or Rogue! Man, we are so dead!_  
  
As Bobby continued to quietly panic, the Professor greeted them. "Bobby, Ray- no plans for the evening?"  
  
Bobby started with "Uh, yeah, we were just going to find-"  
  
"Some movies," Ray interrupted, "To watch. In the rec room. With Rogue- "  
  
"Have you seen her?" Bobby jumped in.  
  
"No, I haven't; did you perhaps try the rec room?" The telepath asked in a mildly sarcastic tone of voice. He knew exactly what the boys were up to. Normally he would have already called them onto the carpet for their little stunt at school, but it did them good to sweat a bit. _Besides, I'm sure Rogue will have them doing her chores in no time._ He'd heard about the shoe incident, and despite the ignorance he feigned, he knew about all the blackmail that went on between the students. It was hard not to notice, since almost no one was doing their own chores anymore! Sometimes, he had the suspicion that some of the students almost preferred his punishments to the revenge meted out by their peers. Contrary to popular opinion, Xavier remembered what it was like to be young. Giving the boys an inscrutable smile, he rolled off down the hallway, reminiscing about some of the better pranks he and his friends had pulled on their teachers when they were young.  
  
Completely mistaking the meaning of the Professor's smile, the boys took one look at each other and ran desperately for the rec room. _Oh man, we are so busted,_ Ray thought. 


	19. Chapter 19

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 18  
  
Hooray for reviewers! caliente, rogue fan, rogue writer, and ishandahalf- you guys rule! Reviews make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  
  
There is a real Lestat's coffee shop, here in my hometown. It's just a good name for a goth hangout, so I borrowed it. The real one is kinda like the one in my story, and it's in the exact same type of neighborhood- hooray for real world inspiration! I could totally see Rogue hanging out there. (Is that a bad sign, being able to imagine cartoon characters hanging out at real world places? I hope not- I'm already crazy enough as it is.)  
  
Rogue finished her chicken, chucked the paper plate in the garbage, and checked the clock. It was a little after 10:30- time to get going before anyone caught her and wondered where she was going this late at night.  
  
Moving stealthily down the hall with skills she'd never known she possessed, she managed to make it to the front door without encountering anyone else. Slipping outside, she mentally congratulated herself- and ran straight into the immovable mass that was Logan.  
  
He looked down at her, eyebrow raised, a beer in one hand and a smoking cigar in the other, and said "Just where do ya think you're goin', Stripes?"  
  
"Out," Rogue replied tersely, cringing inside. _Logan! Of all the people I was trying to avoid... He'll never let me out!"  
  
"I can see that. Mind telling me where?" It wasn't a request.  
  
Thinking quickly, she said "Ah'm goin' ta meet a guy from school, ovah at that coffee place me an' Risty used ta go to." Hating herself for the acting job she was about to pull, she continued with "Ah jus' din't want any of the othahs ta find out- they'd nevah let me live it down!"  
  
After a moment, Logan stepped back, allowing her to pass. "All right Stripes, you can go, but we're havin' a little talk about sneakin' out tomorrow."  
  
Nodding, she ran down the steps, more relieved than she wanted to admit. Pausing to enter the gate code, she waited for the gates to swing back, tapping her foot impatiently. She didn't want Logan to change his mind, or ask her who she was going to meet- that man could smell an outright lie a mile away- literally!  
  
She tried to tell herself that she was just glad Remy wasn't going to get hurt, since she knew what Logan would do to the Cajun if he found out who she was meeting. But that annoying little voice spoke up in the back of her mind with 'yeah, right. Admit it, you actually want to see the swamp rat.' Firmly denying everything, she walked out the gate at a leisurely pace. She didn't want to get there too early. Even though they'd never formally agreed on a time, she figured she'd meet him at midnight, since that's when they'd met before. On a sudden impulse, she quickened her pace. If she hurried, she'd have time enough to go to the coffee shop, like she'd said. She hadn't had a decent cup of coffee in weeks, because the sludge Logan brewed in the mornings was undrinkable for anyone who didn't have accelerated healing capabilities.  
  
A motorcycle flew by her, going way too fast, and blew her hair into a tangled mess. Feeling a momentary flicker of annoyed vanity, she smoothed it down and pushed it out of her eyes. By the time she'd restored some semblance of order to it, the motorcycle had been parked by the side of the road, and a familiar figure in a trench coat was standing next to it, arms folded over his chest.  
  
Rolling her eyes and feeling a strange fluttering in her stomach, she took her time walking towards him, calling out "Ah shoulda known it'd be you terrorizin' the neighborhood on that thing."  
  
He watched her walk towards him, and all he could think was _mon dieu!_ He almost hadn't recognized her when he'd ridden past- only her hair gave her away. Gone was the overdone makeup, the dismal monochromatic black- the creature walking toward him was more beautiful than even he'd imagined. All he could do was stare in amazement. By the time she got close enough to hear him, he'd found his voice again. "Y' look better w'thout all de gunk on y' face."  
  
Rogue gave him a strange look, like she hadn't expected him to say that, and responded "Ah din't do it f' you, Swamp Rat."  
  
His only answer to that was "Good." He gestured towards the motorcycle.  
  
Suddenly suspicious, she asked "Where ya gonna take me?"  
  
Remy gave an audible sigh. "Where evah y' were goin'." He gave her a look tinged with frustration. For a moment she considered not telling him- it had been her and Risty's place, after all- but she hadn't gone to all the trouble of escaping Logan for nothing. _And Risty isn't coming back,_ she finally admitted to herself.  
  
"Ah was goin' ta the coffee house- ya know where it is?" She asked, a strangely pained expression on her face.  
  
He nodded once, knowing she didn't mean the local Starbucks, and got back on the bike. Pulling up her gloves and tugging down her sleeves, she settled in behind him, not without some apprehension. What if she touched him while they were riding? They'd both die!  
  
She set her arms loosely around him, and was caught off guard when he pulled her up close to him and repositioned her arms to lie tightly around his body. "Wouldn't wan' y' ta fall off now," he said, a smirk evident in his voice. With a roar, they were off.  
  
It was exhilarating to be flying through the night. The sky was clear, and the stars flashed by in bright white streaks overhead. The wind whistled past her ears, blowing her hair back like a multicolored streamer to flutter behind her, and she tried to enjoy it, to just give herself over to the experience of the moment, but her mind refused to empty its contents.  
  
There was something dangerously intimate about being this close to him; it was closer than she'd been to anyone outside the Institute in longer than she could remember. Surrendering to the whim, she leaned her head against his back, trying unsuccessfully to deny how happy she was to be near him.  
  
Remy was amazed to feel her leaning up against him. He'd been sure she would balk at getting on the bike with him, but as always, she'd surprised him. Sometimes he wondered if she really knew what she wanted- sometimes she seemed almost to like him, and other times, it was as if they were still enemies facing off for battle. He wondered, too, what it must be like, to have all those other people's lives crowding her mind. Did they ever go away? Did she lose herself among them? It wasn't anything he ever wanted to experience first hand.  
  
Rogue pulled away from him as they came into the downtown area. Moving through the shopping district, past the mall and the movie theatre, he turned down an alley behind the Gut Bomb, and within moments, they were there.  
  
Lestat's coffee lounge was small and dark, located on a dingy street full of thrift shops and seedy bars. Remy parked the bike right out front, and immediately Rogue climbed off. Remy offered her his arm, in true gentlemanly fashion, but she disdained it, crossing her own arms over her chest and giving him one of her looks. _Oh, now we're back to that again,_ he thought unenthusiastically; but he merely shrugged and held the door open for her.  
  
They stepped inside, and into another world. The walls were draped with tasseled fabrics, gypsy- like; mismatched overstuffed chairs were grouped together around small tables; and the place was lit almost entirely by candles, giving it a smoky yet ethereal ambiance. He could see why she would like it- it reminded him of home in some small way, and he decided he liked it too.  
  
A gaunt, black draped girl perched on a stool upon the stage, reading aloud from a red velvet notebook. Sparing her a glance, Rogue navigated the sea of tables and chairs with the ease of familiarity, making her way to the counter to order her coffee. Remy followed her, digging into a trench coat pocket for money. She refused to let him pay for her drink, giving him her usual scowl. The man at the register, whose name tag read 'Eddie,' looked at the two of them together, and commented "First date, huh?"  
  
Rogue declared, quite louder than she'd intended, "We are not on a date!" She received a few curious looks from people at nearby tables, and a death glare from the girl on stage.  
  
Remy leaned in close to her and whispered "Well, mebbe we should be, hmm chere?"  
  
Rogue's response to that was a sound of frustration and a few choice phrases containing enough swear words to make a sailor blush. Turning her back on him, she stormed over to the farthest table in the back and slumped heavily in on of the chairs around it.  
  
Unfazed, Remy said to Eddie "Oh, she wants me. She jus' be in denial 'bout it."  
  
Eddie shrugged in understanding and said "Women," rolling his eyes. Then, "what's your order man?"  
  
Remy ordered, paid, and carried both drinks to the table. As he approached, he saw Rogue looking around pensively, an unhappy expression on her face. Even though she was back to being mean to him, he wanted to cheer her up, and as he placed her coffee in front of her, he teased her. In a high, mocking falsetto, he said "Oh, Remy, yer so sweet an' wonderful, thank y' for bringin' me mah coffee-"  
  
Rolling her eyes, Rogue muttered "Thanks for bringin' me mah coffee." But at least she was smiling.  
  
"See now, was dat so hard chere?"  
  
"Yes!" She retorted.  
  
He sighed. "Why y' bein' so difficult?"  
  
"Ah'm the one bein' difficult? Yer the one who thinks we're on a date! If ya wanna date someone so bad, why don' ya try the coffee guy? He seems ta be yer type," she commented acerbically.  
  
"What, y' jealous?" He asked, mocking her.  
  
"Ya wish!"  
  
He smiled at her. "No, seriously chere, y' be Remy's type. Definitely not de coffee homme."  
  
Mischief dancing in her eyes, Rogue came back with "Remy, Ah wouldn't date ya if ya were the last man on Earth."  
  
Undaunted, he replied "Dat mean Remy still have a chance, eh?"  
  
"Yer so impossible!"  
  
"'M bein' impossible, chere," he replied, giving her a look of innocence.  
  
Rogue couldn't help but laugh. "Swamp Rat, the innocent look don' work when ya got demon eyes!"  
  
He just gave up and drank his coffee. She took a sip as well, and her eyes went back to scanning the room. Noticing, Remy asked her "Who y' be lookin' for?"  
  
Rogue stared down into the oversized coffee mug held between her gloved hands as if it held all the answers in the world. Looking up at him again, face devoid of all humor, she said slowly "Ah'm lookin for Risty- mah best friend. We used ta come here all the time."  
  
Her tone of voice hit him hard, and for the first time, he fully realized how much he cared about her. It actually bothered him to see her sad, made him want to rush out and be a hero and find her missing friend, just to make her happy again. But an uncomfortable suspicion was nagging at the back of his mind, and somehow, he didn't think being a hero in this case was going to be wise. Coming out of his thoughts, he prompted her. "Use t' come here?"  
  
She nodded. She jus' kinda disappeared after.... well, everythin,'" she said lamely, not really wanting to bring up the battle or their roles in it. He nodded at her, feeling the same way, and she continued. "It jus' was so strange- she always told me everythin' before, so why din't she tell me she was leavin'? She was an exchange student, mebbe her parents made her go back home- but why'd she jus' go? Was she mad 'cause she found out about me bein' a mutant from the t.v.? The whole thing's jus' so weird- Ah got the address of the people she was s'posed ta be stayin with from her file at school, but I musta been wrong, 'cause there was no one there."  
  
Softly, so quietly Remy had to strain to hear her, she whispered "She always jus' understood everythin'. Nobody's evah understood me lahke she did, an' now she's gone."  
  
Remy just nodded, preoccupied, as thoughts swirled in his head. There had been a notation in Rogue's file about the exchange student- a very curious notation. According to immigration, nobody by the name Risty Wylde had entered the country on a student visa. Even stranger, there were no British records of her, either- not even a birth certificate. Technically, Rogue's best friend didn't exist. 


	20. Chapter 20

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 20  
  
They sat in a strange silence for a while, before Rogue shook herself out of it. "Ah don' wanna talk 'bout me anymore. 'Sides, din't ya have a story ta tell me or somethin'?"  
  
Drawn out of his thoughts, Remy said "Dunno 'bout dat, chere. Remy only said mebbe y' hear de story." She scowled at him, in no mood for his games, and his response was "A'right, a'right, Remy tell y' de story bout de girl dat tried t' kill 'im. But mebbe y' should get more coffee- it be a long story."  
  
Rogue stared into her cup, realized it was empty, and went to do as he'd suggested. Given time to marshal his thoughts, Remy stared into space. What he wouldn't give for a chance to go back in time, to do it all over again, to keep everything from going wrong... _Would you give up Rogue?_ The thought came to him suddenly, and he had to say no. Even for the chance to set things right, to go back to his home and his family, he wouldn't give her up. Even if she wasn't sure she wanted him, it didn't mean he was changing his mind about her.  
  
Rogue returned with her fresh cup of coffee, and sat back down in her chair. She didn't say anything, just stared at him, waiting. Without any more stalling tactics, he began. "De Thieves Guild be real, chere. Remy was raised t' be a master thief, adopted by de Guild Father 'imself."  
  
"Yah, ya told me this part already," Rogue interrupted. He gave her a hard look and continued. "De Assassins be real too, and dey always be startin' up trouble wit' us. Dey hate us, we hate dem- nobody even know why anymo'! But dat girl y' saw in y' head, de one be tryin' t' kill me- dat be Belladonna. Dat be de girl Remy s'posed t' marry."  
  
Rogue, who had just taken a sip of her coffee, nearly spit it across the table. "What?" She sputtered in shock. "Y' were gonna get married? Who'd be crazy enough ta marry you?"  
  
"Mos' femmes find me irresistible. Don' know what yer problem is. 'Sides, was an arranged marriage, chere. But Bella din' have a problem wit' marryin' Remy."  
  
"Whatevah. So if she was all gung ho ta marry ya, why'd she try ta kill ya?"  
  
Looking pained, Remy stated "dat be why Ah told y' it be a long story, chere." He took a sip of his own drink, long gone cold, and made a face. "'M father a'ready had a son- 'm brother Henri. Us an' a cousin, Etienne, we were always workin' like a team, always runnin' around causin' trouble t'gether."  
  
Rogue was surprised to hear him talk about his family. Sure, he'd mentioned being adopted before, but she'd never really thought of him as having a home, a family back in Louisiana. He was just Remy, just one of Magneto's henchmen in that regard- who ever thought of the bad guys as having families?  
  
Remy went on. "De Guild, dey din' care 'bout de whole mutant thing. Ah was born lookin' like dis, but de powers, dat came later. Probl'y de worst powers t' have for bein' a thief, explodin' things, but it jus' be somethin' to deal with." He decided to tell her all the stories about how he learned to control his powers later- that is, if she ever wanted to see him again after this story ended. "Since Remy be de youngest son of de Thieves, an' Bella be de only daughter of de Assassins, de Guilds figgered a way t' have peace by marryin us off."  
  
"It din't bother ya none, havin' yer whole future planned out for ya?" Rogue asked unexpectedly.  
  
"Livin' in de Guild... y' followed orders, y' did what y' were told. 'Course, me an' Henri an' Et, we broke 'em right an left, but dat was different, little things. Somethin' big, like peace.... Y' don' try t' mess dat up."  
  
Rogue nodded. She thought she understood what he meant. "But still- ya din't even know her?"  
  
"No chere, Remy knew her. Me an' Bella knew 'bout de whole marryin' thing all our lives, pretty much; we were jus' kids when dey came up wit' de idea. Ah'd see her 'round all de time- seems everybody else be fightin', be dealin' wit' some kind 'a uneasy truce, but me an' her were jus' friends. Makes sense t' be friends, if y' got t' marry de girl, non?"  
  
"Yah, Ah guess." Rogue understood the following orders part well enough, but she just couldn't wrap her mind around the arranged marriage part. It just seemed so archaic, even for the south- like something she'd study in history class, not something that had happened to someone she knew. "Wait a minute- Swamp Rat, ya ain' actually married, are ya? 'Cause that'd be pretty wrong, yer married an' yer hangin' out with me."  
  
"No, Remy said Bella be de girl he was s'posed t' marry. It nevah happened. Jus' let me tell de story, a'right?"  
  
A silence followed while she digested that, and when Remy saw she wasn't going to comment again, he went on. "Bella had brothers, and dey din' like Remy none. Bella nevah bothered 'bout de whole mutant thing- she jus' thought de bein' able t' explode stuff was a great trick. But her brothers... dey be a whole different story. Dey din' want dere little sister marryin' any thief, an' especially not de freaky one wit' de demon eyes. Me an' Henri an' Et were always fightin' wit' 'em. It was nevah any big thing, but one night everythin' jus' went wrong."  
  
He took a deep breath. "We w' all out in town one night, an' dey jus' attacked us f' no reason- we were jus' in de wrong place at de wrong time Ah guess. Ah nevah knew why- mebbe 'cause Bella was wit' me at de time, an it made her brothers mad t' see us t'gether. One 'a her brothers grabbed Bella, made her watch, an' de others all jumped on us. Ah don' remember anythin' 'cept one moment. Bella's oldes' brother, Joseph, he had Remy cornered, swearin' he was gonna kill Remy, no sister 'a his was gonna marry a dirty thief. Ah had a rock in 'm hand, an' Ah charged it 'an threw it- Ah wasn't tryin' t' hit 'im, jus' tryin' t' scare 'im off." He stopped for a moment, unable to continue, and Rogue felt like she knew what was coming, knew what he was going to say. Part of her wanted to tell him to stop, not to tell her the end of the story, but it was like watching a train wreck- she had to know, had to hear it.  
  
He continued, looking anywhere but at her. "De rock, it blew out de window Joseph be standin' by. An' all de glass- he be standin' too close- he died, right dere, an' Bella- she saw de whole thing."  
  
Even though she thought she'd known, thought she'd been prepared, Rogue was in shock. Her first impulse was to just get up and run as far away as she could- he was a murderer! He was a killer, someone had died because of him.... _But it was an accident! What if it happened to you?_ She fought her first impulse, and stayed, and thought it through. _He's not a bad guy, even if he's on the wrong side, otherwise he wouldn't have tried to help me. He could have killed me with that card and he didn't. People make mistakes- and with powers like ours it's hard not to. Hell, if I held on long enough to someone, I could end up killing them! And all the battles we've fought- none of us ever thinks about who else could get hurt. It could happen to anyone.... It could even happen to an X-Man._ She still wasn't okay with it- how can you ever be okay with knowing that someone you're close to is responsible for a person's death?- but she didn't hate him.  
  
With aching slowness, she reached her gloved hand across the table, and let her fingertips rest across the back of his hand in the lightest of touches. He looked up at her in surprise- she had actually touched him, had actually dared to reach out to him after what he had just told her? All he could do was stare at her.  
  
"Remy, Ah know it was an accident. Ah know ya din't mean ta kill nobody."  
  
She'd used his name. Not his code name, not swamp rat, but his name. And her simple declaration of belief in him shocked him more than anything else in his life ever had.  
  
But, fatalistically, he thought _she still doesn't know the whole story._ Still looking at her, her hand still resting atop his own, he said "But Remy ain' done yet. De Assassins- dey put out contract on us. She was de one t' be carryin' it out. An' she got t' both of 'em- she killed Et, made him suffer. M' brother, he still be alive, but only barely. An' Remy- Remy ain' got a family no more. Ah ain' nobody's son no more- dey took it all away. De Guild renounced Remy, struck de name from de books an' everythin'. An' den it's back t' warrin' again, an' it be open season on Remy. So when Magneto came rollin' inta town, offerin' me an easy out, Ah took de best option available at de time."  
  
Instead of pulling away from him as he'd expected her to do, she gripped his hand tighter. "Rem, ya cousin an' y' brother- that ain' ya fault! Ya can't see the future, know what's gonna happen- none of it's yoah fault. It was an accident. Ya ain' a murderer. Ya can't blame yoah self." She was still holding his hand.  
  
He looked at her, amazed to hear absolution instead of condemnation. She didn't hate him, didn't fear him- she had given him a chance.  
  
She spoke again. "That's jus' so wrong. Ya lost ya family an' everythin' ya evah had ovah this girl, an' ya nevah even got ta marry her. Sure ain' how all those stupid romances are s'posed ta work out, huh?"  
  
He didn't respond, just looked at her out of the corner of his eye and thought _Yeah, I lost everything, but I think I just found something much better._ He could never say that to her, though, so instead, he settled for "dunno- mebbe everythin' s'posed t' happen f' a reason." 


	21. Chapter 21

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 21  
  
Yay, new reviewers! Thanks to Krac and T. And of course Ish- I'm sorry you're having the weekend from hell. A whole chapter full of fluffy, mushy goodness should help to ease the pain... And this is an apology in advance if the formatting is all weird- ff.net is scrunching everything allup when I'm uploading. Meh!  
  
Rogue didn't know what to make of Remy's last comment, so she just sat there in silence. She felt worn and tired- listening to Remy's story had emotionally exhausted her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized that she'd finally made some kind of choice about him. Even though he was a thief and an accidental killer, in some twisted way, his honesty actually made her more willing to trust him. _And am I ever glad he did just come out and tell me, because that's a whole slew of memories I wouldn't have wanted to pick up out of his mind the next time he kisses me. Wait a minute- next time? What am I thinking!_  
  
Unaware of Rogue's thoughts, Remy was pondering some weighty matters of his own. Telling her had eased some of the burden of guilt he carried inside him. He would always feel responsible, but at least one person in the world didn't blame him for it, and that made it a little easier to bear. They both looked up at each other at the exact same moment, mouths open to break the silence with lame small talk, but they were saved by the sudden appearance of Eddie, the coffee guy. "Guys, we're closing, can I take your cups?" It was his not-so-subtle hint for them to get out.  
  
Looking around, they both saw that they were the last people in the place. As they walked to the door, Remy offered her his arm again, and this time, she accepted it.  
  
He pushed open the door, and they stepped outside into the cool night air. "So now what?" Remy asked her. Even though it was late, even though he'd just shared an extremely emotional part of himself with her, he was unready for the night to end. Instead of answering, Rogue suddenly looked up the street, hearing noise coming from one of the bars. Catching sight of a very familiar Harley parked out in front of one of them, and an even more familiar man smoking a cigar by it, she dragged Remy back into an alley. _Not again! Damn the man- he's going to smell me, and then bad things will happen!_  
  
Remy stared at her, a question in his eyes, and she mouthed "Wolverine" to him. He nodded, and stayed right where he was, having no desire to get into a confrontation with the man. Truth be told, Wolverine freaked him out a little. Anyone who could actually fight Sabretooth and win wasn't anyone Remy wanted to be tangling with if he could avoid it. Rogue peeked around the corner again a few minutes later and was relieved to see that he'd gone back into the bar. They ran to Remy's bike, both laughing like kids who've just cut class, happy to have escaped.  
  
When Logan came back out to finish his cigar after making his shot at the pool table, he smelled a familiar scent on the air. _Stripes?_ He wondered, before looking up the street at the closed coffee shop. _Oh yeah, that's where she said she was going.... What do you know, she was telling the truth after all._ Shrugging his shoulders, he took another puff.  
  
As they rode through the streets of Bayville, silent and dark, Rogue called "Where are we goin'?"  
  
Remy called back into the wind "Wherevah we end up, chere." They ended up on the bluff overlooking the town, and as Rogue dismounted the bike, she said "Ooh, real original swamp rat- ya brought me ta the most well known make-out spot in town." For once it was deserted, all the teenagers who usually frequented the bluff being far more mindful of their curfews than Rogue was of hers.  
  
"Remy din' bring y' here f' dat, chere," he told her, "though Ah wouldn't mind kissin' y' again." When she rolled her eyes and moved away from him, uncomfortable again, he hastened to add "Jus' teasin y'. Ah brought y' up here 'cause it be beautiful without all de teenagers cars blockin' up de view, non?"  
  
She had to admit he was right. The whole town was spread out below them in a twinkling sea of lights; with the moonlight coming down and the stars shining up in the heavens, it was a breathtaking sight. Walking over to a nearby tree, they sat down and stared out at the panorama spread out before them.  
  
Rogue was the first to speak. "Ya know, up here, none of it seems ta matter. It's not humans an' mutants, not good guys an' bad guys- it's all jus' a bunch of little lights. We're all jus' people tryin' ta get along the best we can."  
  
He nodded, knowing what she meant. It was a thought he'd had himself, on more than one occasion. "Remy come up here t' think, t' get away from de base sometimes, when things get too crazy."  
  
Rogue turned towards him and asked "Remy, what's it lahke livin' there?" Seeing his look of shock, and realizing that he'd misinterpret the question, she quickly said "Ah don' mean Ah wanna know any of yoah secrets or nothin'- Ah jus' mean what are they all lahke? Are they ya friends, stuff lahke that. Nothin' dangerous."  
  
Seeing that he still seemed hesitant to answer, she said "Tell ya what. Ah'll make ya a deal. Tonight, right now, we ain' workin' on opposite teams. Ah'm not an X-Man an' yer not an Acolyte- we're jus' Rogue an' Remy. Jus' two people sittin out havin' a chat. We don' talk 'bout trainin' or missions or none of that stuff- right here, right now, it don' exist. We're jus' two people with a lot of crazy friends. Deal?"  
  
Remy smiled and said "Y' got y'self a deal, chere." Inside, he was crying out his joy to the heavens. _She finally sees me for myself. She even just said it- not an Acolyte, just Remy. Maybe it's only for tonight, only for a little while, but at least its possible._  
  
"Well, Ah guess we be friends. Dey all be kinda crazy, though, chere- Remy be de sanest person livin' dere." He went on to tell her about the time St. John made an unsupervised trip to the store and came back with $200 worth of lighters.  
  
"They'll let ya buy that many lighters?' Rogue asked in disbelief, and Remy said "Well, Remy nevah said he actually paid for most of 'em... Ah think he started playin' with one of 'am in de store, and de owner was so scared he jus' told him t' take em all an' get out. Not everybody like flamin' horsies y' know," he said with a completely straight face, and Rogue couldn't help but laugh. "An' don' get me started 'bout de time he got put on laundry detail- took four bottles 'a detergent t' get de soot out of m' clothes!"  
  
"That reminds me of the time Kurt was doin' laundry an' got a red sock mixed up in all Scott's white clothes. See, Scott only sees in red, so he din't know! Nobody wanted ta tell him either- it was too funny watchin' him walk around lahke everythin' was all normal. Whenevah somebody would laugh, he's ask why, and they'd jus' say 'ya clothes look funny.' An' he'd always look down an say 'looks fahn ta me.' Ah think Jean finally told him, an ya shoulda seen him chasin' Kurt around, tryin' ta catch him. Kurt swears it was an accident, but Ah don' believe him- that boy's always pullin' a prank."  
  
He ended up telling her the story about Pietro trying to do his hair in the reflection from the mixing bowl, and she was rolling around on the ground laughing. "That boy is so vain an' so arrogant! But Ah think he can even give ya a run for ya money, far as bein' irresistible to the ladies. He came ta a dance with four girls one time!"  
  
Of course, Remy got all huffy at that one, saying "Dat little snot nose punk kid bein' better wit' de femmes den me? Not a chance."  
  
"Nah, ya don' have an ego or nothin'," Rogue teased him. They kept talking and teasing each other and telling stories for a long, long time. Finally, Remy noticed Rogue trying to hide a yawn behind her hand, and he said "Chere, Remy think mebbe it be time t' take y' home. Much as Ah'd love t' keep y' here wit' me all night, don' think de people from y' Institute would like it much." She nodded, having to agree with him. Picking themselves up from the ground, they mounted the bike and were off again.  
  
Despite the traumatic pieces of Remy's past, and the near run in with Logan, Rogue had thoroughly enjoyed herself. With him, she hadn't had to hold back at all. He took her sarcasm and her teasing and didn't get all offended like everyone else did- he just gave right back. And when she was telling her stories, she hadn't had to hide anything. As much as Risty always seemed to understand her, Rogue always had to censor herself so much around the girl. Since Risty hadn't known about her being a mutant, there had been so many things she'd had to cover up. Hell, she couldn't even have her best friend come over after school without getting it cleared by everyone else first! Not that Remy would be allowed over any time soon either, but that was for entirely different reasons. He understood because he was like her, and he lived with people who had crazy powers too. It had just felt so good to let it all out and to be able to talk about nice normal things like friends and pranks and school with someone who wouldn't freak out about the whole mutant thing.  
  
Before she knew it, Remy had pulled up in front of the Institute gates. Sparing a thought to hope that Logan had already returned and wasn't going to catch her out here, she looked up at Remy, who had gotten off the bike, and felt suddenly shy. "Ah had a good time, Ah mean, aside from the... ya know what Ah mean," she said awkwardly.  
  
He leaned forward to brush that one errant white strand out of her eyes, and this time she didn't flinch away from him. "Remy know what y' mean, chere," he said to her softly, looking into her emerald eyes. He could get lost in those eyes, drown in their soulful depths forever and enjoy every moment of it... Knowing that if he didn't leave now he'd do something stupid, like kiss her again, he gave her a soft, gentle smile and said "Have sweet dreams, chere," and turned away to leave. He didn't have to tell her he'd see her again soon- they both knew.  
  
She watched him rode off, staring after him until he was too far away to be seen, and punched in her gate code. She knew it would record that she had come home very, very late, but she didn't care. As she walked up to the house, she felt the uncharacteristic urge to do a little dance or turn cartwheels or something. She felt.. happy. _Oh yeah, we are way beyond just friends,_ she thought ruefully to herself. Yet she couldn't bring herself to regret it. When he'd been staring into her eyes, it was like she could see the thought in his head. She knew he wanted to kiss her again, and a part of her wanted it too. Being with him tonight, even though it was so, so wrong, had felt so right. _Girl, you are in way too deep._ But she felt giddy and beautiful and wanted- and she didn't want to give up that feeling for the world. 


	22. Chapter 22

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 22  
  
Good news..... things are going better down here. My family didn't have to evacuate; at one point the fire was only a few miles away and if the winds had shifted we would have had to leave in a hurry, but thankfully, that didn't happen. It's really freaky to drive around though- it looks like a war zone, with the ground all blackened and burnt. And the air is terrible.. So, the good part is, since it's so disgusting outside, I'll be staying inside at the computer and writing! And ish- I totally wasn't trying to tease you! See, a real chapter!  
  
The disclaimer is being a hero and fighting the fires. See, isn't it so cute in its little fireman costume? (The smoke is getting to me.. heh heh heh.)  
  
Rogue was woken the next morning by the angry voice of Logan. "I let you go out to meet your 'friend' for coffee, and you come back at 3:30 in the morning?"  
  
She rolled over on the couch and stared at him blearily. "Wha? Wha' time is it?"  
  
"Time for me an' you to have that little talk. Get up, Stripes. You've got fifteen minutes if you want to eat breakfast." He walked out, and Rogue stared at the spot where he'd been, sighing. _You knew you'd have to face him,_ that annoying little voice spoke up in the back of her mind, the same one that always plagued her, and she told it to shut up. _Oh great, now I'm actually talking back to the little voices in my head. That cannot be good._ Shaking her head, she grabbed a workout suit she'd left discarded at the foot of the couch and went into the bathroom to change clothes and wash her face.  
  
She made it to the kitchen just as Logan was finishing his coffee. He watched impatiently as she grabbed the last of the bacon from under Kurt's nose and scooped herself a plate of scrambled eggs. Jean telekinetically poured her a glass of orange juice and floated it over to her, and she plucked it out of the air and took a deep swallow.  
  
She ate quickly, letting the others conversations flow over her. Roberto was telling the others about the latest e-mail he'd gotten from Rahne, Jean and Kitty were discussing something, and Amara and Sam were arguing about a project they'd been partnered up for at school.  
  
Kurt plopped down next to her, eyeing her bacon speculatively. "Don' even think 'bout it, fuzz butt," she told him, and he gave her a sheepish smile. "Can't blame a guy for trying, ja?" She just shook her head at him, and he continued with "Isn't it your turn to do the dishes this morning?"  
  
"Yah, but Ah think Bobby an' Ray are doin' jus' fahn, don' you?" She looked towards the latter, walking around the table collecting the dirty dishes.  
  
"They vere looking for you last night..."  
  
"Ah din't see 'em. But takin' initiative is definitely somethin' the Professor would appove of, don' ya think?" She said it just loud enough to be heard, and Ray shot her a dirty look. She just smiled back sweetly, and Kurt had to laugh. "Remind me not to get on your bad side anytime soon- I think you're enjoying this!"  
  
"C'mon Stripes, let's go," Logan spoke up from where he leaned against the wall behind her.  
  
She gulped the last of her orange juice, scooped up the last of her eggs, and grabbed the bacon Kurt had been trying to steal, munching on it as she followed Logan down the hall. "So what're we doin'?"  
  
"We're havin' a talk. You're washin' the van."  
  
Rogue groaned. _Great, I'm doing physical labor and he's interrogating me. Just how I wanted to spend my Saturday morning...._  
  
When they got to the garage, he tossed her a bucket, a giant sponge, and the extra strength car wash. "Get goin' on it."  
  
Sighing, she filled the bucket with car wash and water and was soon up to her elbows in soap suds. Resigning herself to her fate, she began scrubbing.  
  
Logan pulled up a stool and began idly polishing his bike. "So, Stripes, coffee shop closes at one. Where were you for the other two and a half hours?"  
  
"Around," she said evasively.  
  
"Around where?"  
  
"Places."  
  
"Stripes, who exactly were you with again?"  
  
"Jus' a guy Ah met at school," she replied nonchalantly.  
  
They continued in this manner for several more minutes, with Logan growing more and more frustrated by her lack of response. She always answered his questions, but none of her answers told him anything, and since none of them, were outright lies, he had nothing to call her on. It was aggravating, but at the same time, he felt a strange sense of pride in the girl. All the others just caved right away. However, along with that pride was a fair amount of worry. Although Rogue was secretive by nature, she usually opened up to him at least.  
  
He felt protective of all the kids, but with her, it translated into a sort of fatherly watchfulness. Out of all of them, she was the most alone, the most without family, since in his mind, any guardian who would knowingly turn a child over to Mystique didn't qualify as 'family.'  
  
He decided to try a slightly different approach. "If you were just goin' out for coffee, why were you tryin' to sneak out?"  
  
He could hear her sigh, and the splashing that meant she was still hard at work. "'Cause Logan, it was 10:30- Ah din't think anyone would let me go out!"  
  
"Well, you're right about 'anyone' lettin' you go out- Hank or 'Ro or Charles would definitely have said no. But if you want to go out late on a weekend," he placed special emphasis on the last word, "why don't you try asking me, and we'll see about it."  
  
Rogue stopped scrubbing at the bugs crusted on the back windshield, momentarily surprised. _I guess Logan isn't such an ogre all the time after all._  
  
He continued. "But if I ever catch you sneakin' out again, not only am I gonna tell Charles, but you'll be doin' extra trainin' with me until you can't even remember why you wanted to sneak out in the first place. Got it?"  
  
"Yah, a'right." But she couldn't help complaining. "Ah thought we were supposed ta be livin' normal teenage lives. Normal teenagers sneak out an' throw parties an' stuff."  
  
She could hear him snort at that comment. "Maybe so, but normal teenagers don't have me to deal with."  
  
"Lucky them," Rogue muttered.  
  
He ignored her comment. "And normal teenagers don't have to worry about fightin' Magneto's goons on a regular basis either."  
  
Rogue had moved around to the side of the van that was closest to him, and he saw a strange look pass momentarily over her face at the mention of Magneto's team. He filed that observation away for future reference.  
  
"What, ya mean all our trainin' ain' jus' cause yer sadistic an' lahke torturin' us?" She asked sarcastically, and Logan just smiled, standing up and moving towards the door. "Just keep scrubbin' Stripes. When you get dine, go find 'Ro- she'll tell you what to do next."  
  
"But Logan, Ah've got homework!" She protested.  
  
"You weren't even gonna look at it til tomorrow. Nice try, though." He left.  
  
Muttering unpleasant comments about homework, wasted weekends, and certain adamantium-enhanced mutants, she squeezed out the sponge and kept at it.  
  
When Logan left the garage, he went straight to the Professor's study. As he walked in, Charles looked up from where he'd been working on some correspondence. "So, how did your little 'talk' with Rogue go?"  
  
Logan grunted, folding his arms over his chest. "She was real evasive, Chuck. I don't know what she's hidin' but it probably ain't good."  
  
Charles steepled his fingers on the desk before him, a thoughtful look on his face. He was silent for a moment, going to that place in his mind where telepaths go when they're concentrating on something; then he said "I don't sense any other presences surrounding her, so I think we can rule out the possibility of mind control. Perhaps it is merely something as simple as normal teenage hormones."  
  
"Teenage hormones and mutant powers are a bad combo, especially for her."  
  
Charles smiled. "Give her some credit for common sense, Logan. She has a remarkable amount of self control and a definite sense of responsibility. She knows what her powers can do to other people. Yet, she is only a teenager. They are all only children, Logan. We need to let them have at least some of their youth."  
  
At the look on Logan's face after that comment, he smiled even wider. "You were young too, once. Even though you can't remember it, it did happen to you." His voice was gently teasing.  
  
"Probably a good thing I don't remember any of it- probably wouldn't set a very good example." Logan commented dryly, and the Professor kept his thoughts to himself about that particular idea.  
  
"I'm sure it's nothing, but if it makes you feel better, by all means keep an eye on her. And pay attention to the other students- maybe some of them know what is going on in her life that could be causing her to act this way."  
  
Somewhat mollified, Logan replied "Alright Chuck," and exited the study, heading for the second floor main hallway. It was evidently his turn to supervise the new recruits.  
  
When he got there, he saw them all milling about a group of Jamies that had already managed to spill paint on the floor. _Good thing for plastic drop cloths._  
  
He quickly gave the group their painting assignments, and gave them a stern admonition against paint fights. They scattered, looking frightened, and Logan thought _I guess there is something to be said about ruling by fear after all...._ 


	23. Chapter 23

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 23  
  
Sorry you're only getting two chapters tonight. I have most of them written out in my notebook, but I can only type so many chapters up at once. And I know this one ends kind of abruptly, but I had to cut it off, or it was going to be way too long. Two shorter chapters is way better- especially because I don't think many of you are Scott and Jean fans, since Romy fans generally don't seem to like Jean much. So, for people who don't like Scott and Jean, you're only getting small doses.  
  
When Rogue finally finished with the van, after giving it an exhaustive wash and even waxing it for good measure, it was after 1:00. Slapping together a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, she ate it as she wandered the Institute, searching for Ororo. She finally stumbled into the library and found the weather goddess unloading a box of books.  
  
"Oh, Rogue, there you are. Logan said you would be showing up eventually," Ororo said in her even, melodious voice.  
  
"Here Ah am, reportin' for duty as ordered," Rogue quipped, and behind her, she could hear Kurt snickering. He came to stand beside her, draping a furry arm casually over her shoulders, and she pushed it off good naturedly.  
  
"Good. You and Kurt will be installing socket covers and doorknobs on the third floor. Evan and Kitty, you're with me in the garden, and Jean will finish up in here." She handed Rogue and Kurt several packages of screws, a couple of screwdrivers, and pointed towards the boxes outside in the hallway.  
  
Kitty and Evan followed Ororo out, and Kurt began porting the boxes up to the third floor. Rogue took a look around the library, surprised by how many shelves were already full, and followed them outside, picking up a few of the boxes and wandering down to the elevator to transport them upstairs the old fashioned way.  
  
By the time she made it upstairs, Kurt was standing there waiting, tapping his foot impatiently. "Geeze, make me wait all day," he teased her, and she just gave him one of her looks. She tossed him a screwdriver and a packet of screws, which disappeared into a pocket of his pants, and they got started.  
  
"Who woulda evah thought a house would need so many doorknobs an' socket covers?" Rogue wondered out loud as she screwed a socket cover into place.  
  
"Ja, I never thought about how many rooms this place must have- probably hundreds! Just think, maybe ve'll all get to have our own rooms now, since herr Professor changed the floor plans a bit."  
  
"Ah'm jus' happy he had 'em put in stalls an' multiple showers in the bathrooms. Now it won't have to take forevah ta get ready for school in the mornings."  
  
They moved on to another room, and Kurt changed the subject entirely. "You vent out to meet your Acolyte last night, didn't you?"  
  
Rogue just turned around to look at him, mouth open in shock. Recovering quickly, she tried to feign nonchalance. "He ain' mah Acolyte. "Sides, what gives ya that idea, fur ball?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that you never dress that nicely for anyone, and you vere hardly vearing makeup. I might be foreign, but I am not stupid, you know."  
  
"Ah nevah said ya were, but Ah still don' think it's any of yoah business." She turned away from him, trying to concentrate on attaching a doorknob.  
  
"Rogue, I'm not going to go running to tell herr Logan. I am just vorried about you." Kurt said pleadingly.  
  
"Kurt, we a'ready had this conversation. Remember? At school yesterday?"  
  
"Ja, but that vas before you stayed out until 3:30 vith him!"  
  
She turned back to him, doorknob forgotten, suddenly upset. "How d' you know 'bout that? Is mah business all ovah the Institute now?"  
  
"Nien, but I vas leaving the bathroom vhen herr Logan voke you up this morning. I heard vhat he said to you."  
  
"Oh. Yah, Ah was out with 'im last night. Satisfied?" She crossed her arms over her chest, giving him one of the looks that usually cowed everybody else into silence. But this time it didn't work- his anxieties gave him the strength to stand up to her. "Nien, I am not satisfied. Vhy do you put yourself in danger? Vhy is it so important to you to go and see him, even though it is such a bad idea?"  
  
Unknowingly, Kurt was asking her questions that she had asked herself- and been unable to answer. _How do I tell him that being with Remy makes me feel happy? How can I make him understand when I don't even understand it myself?_ "Ah don' know, Kurt. But Ah told ya already that he ain' gonna hurt me; Ah can tell ya a thousand times, but ya ain' gonna believe me, are ya?"  
  
He sighed. "You have no vay of knowing vhat Magneto could be planning, Rogue. You are no telepath, to see inside someone's head and know vhat they are planning to do. He still vorks for our enemy, no matter vhat he says to you."  
  
She couldn't stand his doubt anymore, and she blurted out "Look, he touched me, a'right? Ah don' have ta be a telepath ta pick up on somebody's thoughts- all Ah have ta do is touch 'em. Ah saw what was in his head- trust me- he'd no more hurt me than you would." Seeing the look on Kurt's face, knowing that the wheels were spinning in his mind, she realized that she'd said too much. In a desperate plea, she prayed to every deity she could think of _Please don't let him ask me the question I know he wants to ask! _ But just like all of her other prayers over the years, it went unheeded.  
  
"Mien gott, Rogue, do you like this Acolyte?" He just stared at her, wanting an answer, spaded tail swishing back and forth in agitation.  
  
"His name is Remy," Rogue gritted out, more bothered than she wanted to admit by Kurt's continued refusal to use Remy's name. It was almost like Kurt didn't want to see him as anything but he enemy- like the blue furry mutant was trying to deliberately deny someone else the humanity a name confers.  
  
"Fine, vhatever. Do you like him?" It somehow was really important for Kurt to know the answer to his question.  
  
"Yes! No! Ah don't know!" Rogue cried, exasperated. Kurt turned away, a look of disgust marring his usually placid features. "Why is it such a big deal anyways?" Rogue asked, exasperation giving way to confusion.  
  
"Did you learn nothing from Kitty? They're all on Magneto's side for a reason, Rogue- because they're evil! So how anyone could ever like one of them is beyond me!"  
  
_When did he become so judgmental? The Kurt I know never judges anyone!_ "What is yoah problem? First of all, leave her out of this. Second, Lance might be kind of an ass, an' not be much good as a boyfriend, but he ain' evil. People jus' do what they have ta sometimes, an' they jus' end up on the wrong side. An' since when did ya get so judgmental anyhow?"  
  
"Vhen all of my closest friends started making such bad choices!" He fired back.  
  
"Look, Ah don' wanna fight with ya! Ya asked me a question, an' Ah told ya the truth, an' Ah'm sorry if ya can't deal with it, but ya can't change it! This is mah life, an' if Ah want ta hang around with Remy, then Ah will. He ain' evil, he jus' made a lot 'a mistakes, includin' workin' for Magneto!" Then, quieter, the thought coming to her in a sudden flash, she said "Not everyone who's on his side is evil jus' 'cause yoah mother is."  
  
At that, Kurt visibly deflated, turning away and looking out a window. "Ja," was all he said, and Rogue felt bad for coming down so hard on him. "Look, Ah'm sorry-" she began, but Kurt cut her off.  
  
"Nien, you are right. If ve vant them to ever realize that they are on the wrong side, then judging them is not a good idea. How can I be on the side of peace if I have var in my heart?" Picking up his screwdriver, he went back to work in silence, a thoughtful look on his face. Oddly shaken by his words, Rogue too went back to work. Neither one spoke again for some time.  
  
Several hours later, Kurt's usually cheerful demeanor had returned, and Rogue had pushed the argument to the back of her mind. They had finished installing everything in all of the boxes of fixtures, and they carried the empty boxes back downstairs, because Kurt was too tired to teleport. Joining the rest o the students in the kitchen, Rogue and Kurt helped themselves to some snack food, settled themselves at the table, and took part in a spirited complaint fest about how their Saturday had been wasted. Eventually they all grew tired of sitting around the table, and they all moved into the rec room, debating which movies to watch. Jamie settled in an overstuffed chair, completely engrossed in his Game Boy. Amara had disappeared with the phone, no doubt to call Tabby and gossip for four hours- for the life of her, Rogue couldn't understand their friendship. Amara was a princess, and Tabby was practically a street urchin- but they were the closest of friends. _Strange._ Kurt and Evan were playing a spirited game of foosball, and Kitty was cheering them on, while Bobby called dibs on the next game. Ray and Roberto were arguing over something, and at this point, Sam seemed to be the only one who still wanted to watch a movie.  
  
Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream came from the only person who was missing. "Jean!" Kitty cried, worried. Jean wasn't a screamer. Before anyone else could move, she had phased herself through the ceiling, heading towards the library where they had left the red head.  
  
A few minutes later, she was back. "It was nothing- she was just having a nightmare or something." Shrugging, the rest of the kids went back to their previous pursuits.  
  
Up in the library, Jean was explaining her nightmare to the Professor, who was doing his best to reassure her that Scott was perfectly fine. Jean hadn't meant to fall asleep- but she had had three tests in the past week, which meant she'd stayed up late to study, and then had to go in early to take the tests, so she'd gotten very little sleep all week. She'd been replacing books on the shelves when a particularly interesting volume on mutant genetics had caught her eye, and she had sat down on the couch, intent on checking it out. The next thing she knew, she was screaming herself awake.  
  
"Jean, Scott is out of range even for Cerebro. There is no way you could be telepathically tapping into an experience he is having- he is simply too far away. I'm sure he's fine- he'll probably call in a few hours from the airport." Jean nodded, but in her heart, she knew the Professor was wrong. She couldn't explain it, but she just knew Scott was in trouble. The two of them had been unusually close ever since the night her powers had gone out of control, and sometimes she swore he was almost able to read her thoughts, even though he wasn't a telepath, but she'd thought their psychic link had long since broken. But what if she was wrong- what if she was really seeing what was happening to Scott because they were still linked?  
  
In a sudden flurry of motion, she ran from the room, intent on finding her planner, and Alex's number. She would call his family- if they corroborated Alex's story, then she would be able to believe the Professor. But if not.... they had to find a way to save Scott!  
  
A few minutes later, Jean ran back into the Professor's study. "Professor, whoever it is that called Scott from Mexico, it wasn't Alex. Alex never left Hawaii!" The Professor nodded, already telepathically contacting the senior X-Men team. Within minutes the team arrived, and after a quick briefing about the situation, they suited up and were ready to go within record time. 


	24. Chapter 24

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 24  
  
I've got stuff to say to people! Gothic Cajun- I actually hadn't considered that idea, that people would think Kurt's out of character behavior was because it was really Mystique.. But it's a good idea. (Wheels in my brain are spinning.... heh heh heh)  
  
Alara- glad you liked my attempts at continuity with the show. I will break from it eventually though, because Apocalypse isn't much fun for me to write (can anyone say lack of character depth?) and I have something totally different planned.  
  
Kira-Leigh- thanks!  
  
Ish- sometimes I wonder if you're on crack too, but that's okay. If you want to squeal about my story, go right ahead, squealing makes me happy. And yeah, single rooms... Lots of romancing going on at the Institute. I think so, anyways- I haven't written that much in advance yet. But yeah, this is doing the totally sappy cheesy romance thing. Probably because I lack romance in my own life.  
  
But yeah, now that I've rambled on for half a page.. You came here to read a story!  
  
Rogue, Kurt, Evan and Kitty met Jean in the hangar. The Professor, Logan and Ororo were already aboard, and as soon as the teenagers were strapped in, Logan began take off, wasting no time.  
  
Jean and the Professor were huddled in conference while Logan and Ororo flew the plane. Kitty and Rogue both stared out opposite windows, while Kurt and Evan discussed some finer points of a recent skating competition. Suddenly, Jean turned away from the Professor, who had gone into a telepathic trance. Fury blazed brightly in her eyes as she advanced on Kitty. "Quit broadcasting your thoughts! I'm sorry that rescuing your teammate is wrecking your plans for the night- next time we'll give you two weeks notice so you can fit it into your busy social schedule!"  
  
But cats have claws, and Kitty was in no mood to keep hers in. "Yeah, I do, like, resent having to give up my plans to go bail him out, because it's like, totally his own fault! He totally didn't even try to verify the story, and he should never have gone off alone! He's always telling us all this stuff about, like, how we have to be careful 'cause we have so many enemies, and it all went right out the window! If he'd done what he's always, like, telling us to do then we totally wouldn't be having to go rescue him! So don't like, go getting all mad at me just 'cause your boyfriend screwed up!"  
  
Before Jean could answer, Logan spoke up from the front. "Can it, Half- Pint. Red, go sit down. Fightin's the last thing we need right now." Still shooting a murderous glance at Kitty, Jean went back to her seat next to the Professor. Kitty went back to staring out the window, muttering something under her breath. The Professor came out of his trance, his worried face showing that he'd not had any success, and Jean went back to conferring with him worriedly.  
  
Rogue shifted in her seat, going back to staring out the window now that all the excitement was over. As mean as it was, it always amused her to see the cracks in Miss Perfect's façade. Granted, she was worried about Scott too, but it had been funny to watch Jean blow up at Kitty.  
  
Unbidden, her thoughts turned from the red head to a certain demon eyed man. She'd been trying not to think about him all day, ever since her argument with Kurt, but it was hard. As she'd walked the Institute's halls, her mind's eye had been placing him in the picture. She could clearly imagine him just hanging out in the rec room with the others, making fun of people and flirting with her, and it disturbed her to realize how much she wished it could happen. _You just want him to be an Z-Man because then it wouldn't be wrong to be with him,_ the annoying voice spoke up in her head, and for once she didn't try to contradict it. It would be so convenient of he could just up and leave Magneto's team and join her side, but realistically, she knew it would never happen. Things like that never happened in real life- only in those dumb Hollywood movies. _Besides, he'd make a terrible X-Man- he'd never get along with Scott, Logan would positively try to skewer him for even looking at me, and the Professor wouldn't let him steal things._ Even so, she couldn't ignore the tiny part of her that still wanted it to happen.  
  
Sighing quietly, she pushed aside her daydreams of Remy in an X-Man uniform, idly wondering where he was and what he was doing. _He probably didn't catch hell for being out all night._  
  
Currently, Remy was trapped inside a metal sphere hurtling through the sky. _I really hate these things. We're only going to Albany- why couldn't we just take the train like normal people? Can't stand up, butt's numb from sitting here... Mon dieu, what if he drops this thing? I really hate being in here...._ Something bounced off the metal sphere, and Remy spared a thought of pity for the poor bird. _He says we have to be inconspicuous, he says we can't show up on film- and flying through the sky in giant metal spheres is inconspicuous? Forget all those UFO sightings- it's not aliens, just my crazy boss and his damn metal pod- things!_  
  
To say he was tired, cold, and annoyed would be an understatement. After dropping Rogue off at the Institute, he'd gone back up to the ridge and sat there in thought, watching the sun come up. He'd gone down the hill to a local diner to have breakfast, prolonging the inevitable. He didn't want to return to base, to his life. Sitting with Rogue and really just talking about normal things had been.. priceless, and he'd hated for the night to end. They'd just been normal people for a few hours, and despite the fact that all the stories they'd shared had been about other people with powers, he hadn't felt strange to be talking about mutants. Even though the Guild had accepted his powers, and Bella hadn't ever cared, it had always felt strange to discuss his powers with them, or to talk about mutants in general. But for himself and Rogue, their normal was different than other people's normal. Their version of normal was something that no one who wasn't a mutant could ever understand.  
  
He'd finally gone back to base mid-morning, intending to take a nap. But when he'd returned, he'd found St. John causing mayhem, Sabretooth shedding and clawing at things, and he'd found himself volunteered to go ferry messages to the Brotherhood. When he'd returned from that unpleasant little duty, Magneto had found things for him to do all day that interfered with the idea of sleeping, and he swore the man was doing it on purpose as punishment. And now, this mission.  
  
There was a sudden thump as the pod landed, jarring Remy from his thoughts, and he jumped out as soon as the hatch opened far enough for him to make it out, enjoying a satisfying full body stretch. Years of conditioning immediately took over as he took a quick survey of the surroundings, noting where they were in relation to other buildings, windows, and the like. Magneto had landed them on a broad, flat roof, conveniently hidden behind a large billboard advertising for a Friends of Humanity convention, to be held in New York City in a month's time. _Figures they'd advertise themselves here- it is their building,_ he thought sardonically.  
  
This mission had been carefully planned. Creed had left two days ago for a talk show tour of the west coast; he was currently in California with his entourage. Additionally, it was a weekend, so very few people should be around.  
  
Once Remy had the area firmly mapped inside his head, he turned to Magneto and nodded. Magneto levitated himself into the air, and Remy gave a start as the metal bits on his uniform and in his pockets levitated as well, pulling him into the air alongside the silver haired man. Magneto floated them down t a specific window, and Remy performed his breaking and entering magic swiftly. Within moments they were in, and Magneto wasted no time getting to the computer. Remy took a plastic disk case from the leather satchel he wore over his shoulder, and handed it to the other man before going to tackle the rows of filing cabinets against the far wall.  
  
Magneto opened the case and grabbed the specially designed hacking program disk, inserting it into the disk drive. Within moments it had broken down all the electronic barriers in the system, and Magneto got busy downloading files and programs onto a handy stack of blank disks they had brought along just for this purpose.  
  
Meanwhile, Remy was busy breaking into the locked filing cabinets. He was unsurprised to discover informational files on all the X-Men, as well as quite a few other mutants. He took those, shoving them into a pocket in his bag- no way was he going to leave any information about his future affiliates in the hands of someone as dangerous as Graydon Creed. He was vastly disturbed, however, to discover large files about training camps in Wyoming and research centers in the wastelands of the southwest. Taking those files as well, he continued in his search. Picking through the personnel files and tax records, he found chillingly accurate photographs and diagrams of the Xavier Institute, as well as photographs from the Sentinel battle. Stuffing those in the bag, he proceeded to rifle through a stack of documents detailing the attempts to get Bolivar Trask released from prison- evidently, the F.O.H.'s lawyers were working determinedly on an appeal case. He put those back, and closed the bottom drawer of the cabinet, moving on to the next one.  
  
Eventually Magneto finished downloading programs and files onto the disks, and with a thought, wiped the hard drive, returning everything to its proper place on the desk and shutting down the computer at the powers source, leaving it how he had found it. He joined Remy at the filing cabinets, and they silently rifled through papers for some time, until they had finished going through every drawer and Remy's bag was full. Remy used his picks to relock the cabinets, and they carefully scrutinized every surface for traces of their presence. They had both worn full gloves and long sleeves, as well as hooded shirts, so that they would leave no fingerprints or hair at the scene. They wanted to leave no clues for law enforcement.  
  
As they turned to go, Magneto saw a pair of glasses lying carelessly on a corner of the desk, and he grabbed them on an impulse. They skin cells clinging to the nose piece could be used for DNA analysis, and he was very curious about this particular man's DNA. Slipping the glasses into a pocket, he went out the window, floating the pods down from the roof. Remy followed him out, jumping lightly into the waiting pod, and closed the window behind himself. As they floated away into the dark night sky, Remy found himself pleased by the success of the mission. He smiled, imagining the confusion and disarray their raid would cause when Creed returned. They had found plenty of useful documents, they hadn't been caught, and now, he had some rough idea of Magneto's plans. Now, he had a bargaining chip to use with Charles Xavier. Confident in his decision, he began planning his defection.  
  
Magneto, too, was planning. Gambit had proved to be useful yet again, but he would have to be kept distracted from now on. His attachment to that girl made his loyalties too questionable for him to be trusted with a role in the greater plan. It was a pity, but it appeared the demon eyed thief was quickly beginning to outlive his usefulness. Fortunately, he would be easily disposed of.  
  
The sun was setting over the Pacific when the Blackbird arrived over Mexico City. Jean knew that this was where Scott had flown to, but they had no idea if he was even still in the city or not. Since Scott hadn't used his powers yet, the Professor's portable Cerebro unit had been unable to detect his presence. Jean cast about with her mind, opening herself wide to receive anything, even the slightest hint of Scott. All she had was their link..... Suddenly, she felt something, just as the Professor gasped sharply. "There, west!" A flash of red lit the sky, and Logan swiftly turned the plane. Jean reached out, and she had him. "There! That warehouse!"  
  
When the Blackbird was directly over the roof, Logan opened the ramp, and before any of the adults could discuss a plan of action, she had dived out, floating herself down through the hole Scott's force beams had made in the roof. Rogue and the others rushed to the ramp, looking down as Jean threw someone around with her powers. "Omigod, that is Mystique!" Kitty exclaimed in horror, and Kurt cried "Hit her harder!"  
  
"Dude, that's your mom!" Evan said in surprise, and Kurt replied "So vhat? She deserves it!" He continued shouting encouragement.  
  
Rogue just shook her head in amazement. "This is better'n wrestling," was her only comment.  
  
When Mystique finally crumpled into an unmoving pile of blue against a wall, Jean floated herself and Scott up to the plane. They settled into chairs, Ororo handing him a spare visor and Kitty rushing to get blankets for them.  
  
Logan muttered something under his breath about teenagers and hormones, and with a strange smile, the Professor, who had taken over flight, turned the plane towards home. As Jean and Scott whispered to each other and everyone else pretended not to be watching them, Rogue's thoughts turned towards Remy again. The uncomfortable thought came to her- they were still on opposite sides, even after last night. If she ever needed him, would he come and rescue her? 


	25. Chapter 25

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 25  
  
Damn... I'm at 25 chapters already? I actually didn't plan on this being such an epic, and it shows no signs of wrapping up any time soon. This can be either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how you want to take it..... But I prefer to think of it as a good thing- of course, it is my story, so I am quite biased. Hooray reviews.. Yay DaughterofDeath and Carapheonix- glad you're liking it. Remy's Lonely Goth Chere- (like the name, by the way!) I'm trying to write fast, really I am! Ish- happy birthday! Yay, you're a Scorpio- best sign of 'em all (I should know, I am one!) Rogue Fan- I was trying to do some comic relief with the Scott rescue scene.... Glad it went over well!  
  
I'm trying to move the story along some, so this chapter takes place on the following Friday after the last chapter. (i.e. this chapter takes place about a week after Blind Alley.)  
  
Rogue dragged herself out of bed on Friday morning, glad this horrible week was finally over. Between Evan's decision to leave and go live in the sewers with the Morlocks, and Kurt's disastrous dinner with Amanda's family, a heavy pall had hung over the Institute all week. It was strange tot have Evan gone- no more rap music blasting in the middle of the night, no more skateboard marks on the banisters, and now there wasn't anyone hogging the milk in the mornings- but still, his presence left a hole. She remembered how when their English teacher had asked about his continued absence, and they had lied and said he'd gone back home, the woman had commented under her breath "Good, one less freak in my classroom. Too bad the others won't leave too." And since it was all over the news that Powr8 was dangerous for mutants, the football team had taken to the halls carrying bottles of it, trying to corner the mutant students and force them to drink it.  
  
Kurt had been in bad shape too. Amanda's parents had almost been willing to accept Kurt into their home, and to try and be open minded about his relationship with their daughter- until Toad had broken in and revealed Kurt's true appearance by stealing his inducer. Even though Amanda had assured him that she didn't care about her parent's decrees, he was so unsure of himself around her now that it was causing incredible tension in their relationship. They all felt really bad for him, but nobody knew what to do about it.  
  
And to top it all off, her powers were starting to go haywire. After her racquetball game with Scott last night, her head had started hurting so bad that she'd thrown the racquet across the room. It had embedded itself into the wall, and horrified, Rogue had run from the room, escaping back to her bedroom and dosing herself with more painkillers. She'd been taking so many lately that she felt groggy and unfocused most of the time, but she didn't know what else to do. Having her own room was probably about the best thing she could say had happened all week- the construction company had finished early, and the Professor had allowed them to pick out their new rooms and move into them on Wednesday night. Smiling, she remembered the mad rush to the mall on Wednesday afternoon after the announcement- everyone needed new sheets, posters, music systems...  
  
As Rogue moved around slowly, choosing clothes and trying to wake herself up, she looked around her own room, pleased. She'd painted the walls purple, and hung candle sconces all over the place, inspired by the décor at Lestat's. Posters for her favorite bands hung on the walls, and the black furniture she'd chosen gave the room a gothic feel that perfectly matched her attitude. Carrying her things, she stumbled down the hall to the girl's bathroom, finding an empty shower stall and stepping into it gratefully.  
  
The shower woke her up some, and by the time she'd dressed, blew her hair dry, and applied her makeup, she felt almost human again. Back in her room, she was pulling schoolbooks out from under the bed and stuffing them into her backpack, when a heavy fist knocked on her door. She opened it to find Logan, standing there holding the shattered racquet in his hands, a question on his face. "You want to explain how this happened, Stripes? I found it in the wall."  
  
"Uh, Ah have no idea Logan. Gotta run!" She dashed past him down the hall, and he stared after her, a strange expression on his face. _That girl has been acting mighty strange lately..._ The supply of painkillers was mysteriously vanishing at an alarming rate, and he'd found an empty bottle in the rec room trash can after Rogue had moved out of the room. She was still being evasive about where she'd been until 3:30 last weekend, and now the shattered, broken racquet he'd found in the wall. He'd been trying ot keep an eye on her, but she hadn't done anything suspicious. Even so, he was still worried.  
  
Rogue rushed down to the kitchen, grabbing an apple and biting into it as she followed the others outside. Jean had gotten a new car as a gift from her parents, who were trying to make up for the huge fight they'd had at Christmas- it had just been delivered last night- and she was eager to show it off. Everyone had heard about Jean's visit home for the holidays- her parents and her normal sister Sarah had ganged up on her, telling her that she'd been living at that place for long enough, why wasn't she able to contain her powers and just come home and live a normal life? IT had gone on for the whole week, and Jean had come home early, spitting mad. She'd refused to take her parents phone calls for three months straight, and since she had turned eighteen already, there was nothing they could do. She had only just started speaking to them again, and they had sent her the SUV as a combination apology gift and early graduation present.  
  
Rogue had almost begun to feel some sympathy for Jean- she knew what it was to be estranged from family, since she refused to have any contact with her guardian Irene. But when Jean had received the car, and immediately forgiven her family, all of Rogue's sympathy had evaporated. _She's just as shallow and superficial as I always thought she was._ Still, her low opinion of the red head didn't prevent her from accepting a ride to school.  
  
She got into the back seat, sitting next to Kurt, and Kitty jumped in front, chattering on about carpooling to the concert they were all going to that night. Jean muttered something about how she was going with Scott, and Kurt and Kitty chorused "Ooh, Jean's going on a date!" Their continued teasing and discussion of dates for the concert was really starting to grate on Rogue's nerves, and she finally yelled "would ya'll jus' drop the date thing already? Yer drivin' me crazy back here!" Kitty and Kurt immediately quieted, Kurt shooting her a strange look, while Kitty merely looked calculating. Rogue still wasn't speaking to her, but she thought she had some idea of the other girl's problem.  
  
The subject of dates just made Rogue uncomfortable. She seen neither hide nor hair of Remy all week, and it really irritated her to admit that not seeing him bothered her. _Here we are, he tells me this big dark secret, we talk for hours, and he almost kisses me- and then I don't even see him for a week? What kind of mind game is the crazy swamp rat playing with me?_ A part of her was afraid that Magneto had found out about their little meetings, and had done something to Remy, but most of her was leaning towards the idea that he was a player after all, and that he had just been trying to use her. _But why then why did he tell me that story? That's not something you just make up on the spot- that was real. And you don't go telling people big dark secrets out of your past if you're just going to use them and walk away..._ Overall, Rogue was back to being unsure about their relationship, and she didn't like that feeling.  
  
Jean pulled into the student parking lot, and Rogue murmured a quiet "thanks for the ride" before rushing off to her locker. Even though she hadn't found a card or a rose all week, she still couldn't help but hope. Kitty watched her rushing off, wondering.  
  
This time, Rogue wasn't to be disappointed. She opened her locker to find another rose atop her French book. She smiled quickly, but then remembered where she was, and pasted a neutral expression on her face. She slipped the rose into her bag along with her French book, and wandered off to class. Since he hadn't left her a note, she figured he'd be showing up at lunch, and she couldn't help but look forward to seeing him again. Of course, she fully intended on demanding an explanation for his week-long silence, but still....  
  
As Kitty reached her locker, she was just in time to see Rogue go walking off down the hall, a lightness in her step and the beginnings of a smile on her face. She sighed- Rogue still wasn't speaking to her, and she was sick of it. Rogue was her closest friend, and she had so many things to tell her... She decided to go find Rogue at lunch and apologize to her. Even though Kitty didn't think she'd been completely wrong in what she'd said, she knew Rogue would never apologize for anything, and it would be up to her to save their friendship. Feeling better now that she had decided to solve the problem, she turned to go to her own first period class.  
  
After he'd gotten into the school to leave his message for Rogue, he wondered what her response would be to his rose. He hoped she wasn't too mad. He had tried to sneak out to see her several times over the week, but since Magneto hadn't lined up any missions for him, and there was plenty of food at the base, he had no viable reasons to be going out. Every time he so much as looked at the door, Sabretooth would magically appear. Magneto had been closeted with that new mutant, Mastermind, ever since they had successfully completed the rewriting of Wanda's memories.  
  
The whole thing had made him sick. To do that to your own child... For the first time, he could fully understand how people could judge him as evil because he worked for the man. Magneto was ruthless and ambitious and completely without conscience when it came to getting his way. But Remy didn't consider himself to be evil, and Wanda's brainwashing had finally been the proverbial straw. He had to get out- immediately. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like he was going to get that opportunity, since he'd been watched and unable to leave the base all week. But finally, his chance had come. St. John was busy drinking beer and watching surveillance tapes from the mansion that showed his crush training. He was muttering about "Pretty flames" and drooling into his beer. Piotr had locked himself into his room, and Sabretooth had been called into Magneto's office, along with Mastermind. He saw his escape opportunity and took it. Packing his few possessions into a duffel bag, not bothering to say goodbye, he left.  
  
He had decided to contact Rogue first, before trying to go to Xavier directly, figuring that she could smooth the way for him. If one of his own team demonstrated confidence in him, then perhaps the man wouldn't just dismiss him on sight, or sic Wolverine on him. So he'd left the rose in her locker, figuring that he would talk to her during her lunch time, and maybe she could make a call to her Professor to set something up. After he left the school, he went to get breakfast, and then he went to buy a case of cards. He had a feeling Magneto would be less than pleased by his departure, and he wanted to be as prepared as he could be.  
  
She suffered through a test in European History, exiting the room breathing a sigh of relief. _I should really get Kurt to help me- he should know this stuff easily, since he used to live there...._ She thought as she made her way to French. Second period was an easier period- they were watching 'Amelie' without the subtitles, and for some reason, in the last two weeks, her ability to understand French had mysteriously gotten better. This was the first movie they had watched in class that she'd been able to understand at all. She wondered where this mysterious ability had come from, but she wasn't going to knock it- not if it helped her bring up her failing grade!  
  
They finished watching the movie during that period, and after the break, she met Kurt in the hall. He and Kitty were whispering about something when she arrived, so she attempted to make small talk with Amanda, without much success- Kurt's girlfriend seemed really distracted by something.  
  
Her head started aching again halfway through English, and she tried to surreptitiously search through her backpack for painkillers, but she didn't have any. So she suffered through the rest of the class, and barely managed to make it through bio. When the bell rang, she raced down the hall to the second floor girls bathroom, intending to put cool water on her face- sometimes that helped.  
  
She tried to push open the door, but instead, she overbalanced herself- and fell through the door. _Oh my god, how did I just do that, I'm not Kitty, I can't do that,_ her mind gibbered at her, and she straightened up to find herself staring at a purple haired girl calmly fixing her makeup in the bathroom mirror. 


	26. Chapter 26

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 26  
  
More review responses.... Hooray for reviews, they make me blush like a little schoolgirl. Or something.  
  
Kaylessa: Nope, it's not Psylocke- I don't know her well enough to write her, so she won't be making any appearances. And Risty has purple hair. Ish: I'm glad you're addicted to my story. (insert evil laugh here.) Hope you haven't been too twitchy in the last 24 hours... And yes, plenty of awkwardness will ensue, eventually. Gothic Cajun: I didn't even realize I'd made a typo, and I read the stupid thing twice before I posted it! How sad is that? Just shows you how retarded I can be, I guess. I'm glad epics are good. And vocab quizzes and the like are insufferably lame, I always hated that part of English classes. And pretty flames rock. I've been reading way too many Amyro stories lately! Rogue Fan: Glad you liked the back-story about Jean. In the show, her car just seemed to appear out of nowhere, and I really hate stuff like that. Everything has to have a reason! So, I gave her car a reason to exist. Plus, I gave Rogue even more reasons not to get along with her. Aograv: I was really trying to make the pace of their relationship convincing, so I'm glad I got it right. Rogue Koto: I wrote more! Happy now?  
  
And thus follows what you've all been waiting for- my rewrite of 'Self Possessed.' My version is different from the original, I'm warning you now- but I think it's better this way.  
  
For a moment, all Rogue could do was gape in shock. "Oh mah gawd Risty, is it really you?"  
  
The purple haired girl turned away from the mirror, a smile on her face. "Rogue, of course it's me!" Her clipped British accent flowed over Rogue, and she felt a wave of relief flow through her. _Finally, something is going right!_  
  
"Risty, where've ya been? Ya jus' disappeared!" _And why didn't you say goodbye?_  
  
The other girl rolled her eyes. "My parents booked the first flight home they could get, and I didn't even have time to pack anything- I just had to leave. And then they wouldn't let me near a phone while I was there or anything- it took me the whole time to convince them to let me come back! But at least they did- my flight just got in!"  
  
Rogue nodded, willing to accept the explanation, but the movement only intensified the aching in her head. She winced, and Risty noticed, asking worriedly "Are you all right?"  
  
Rogue tried to hide it. "No, it's jus' a headache- Ah'll be fahn." She gritted it out, and Risty shook her head. "Well, you're not fine now. I'm sure I have something." She began rummaging through the messenger bag hanging at her side, coming up with a pill bottle. "There, that's just the thing," she announced, shaking out several small white tablets.  
  
Rogue took them with a muttered "thanks," and turned towards the door. Thankfully, this time she stayed solid, managing to get it open. Risty followed her out as she headed towards the nearest water fountain, but as she got close, electricity arced from her hand and zapped the water fountain, causing a plume of water to spout up, hitting the ceiling and spraying several nearby students. Horrified, Rogue turned and raced outside, collapsing on a bench in the courtyard outside and swallowing the pills dry. Head between her hands, she tried to will her powers to cooperate with her.  
  
A hesitant voice suddenly asked "W-were those your mutant powers?" Rogue looked up to find Risty perched on the bench next to her, staring at her intently. She sighed. "Yes- no- it's complicated. When Ah touch somebody, Ah absorb their memories an' their powers an' stuff. An' it's startin' ta get real crowded in here."  
  
Risty looked sympathetic and didn't move away from her, so Rogue took that as a good sign. _At least she's not screaming in terror or anything._ They sat in silence for a moment, and then Risty burst out with "I know, we'll go to that concert tonight- it'll cheer you up!" Standing up, she firmly grabbed Rogue by the arm, dragging her off to the bleachers where they used to go to eat lunch all the time.  
  
"Gawd, Ah missed ya, Risty," Rogue commented as she was dragged away, and Risty just laughed.  
  
Carrying her lunch bag, Kitty walked resolutely towards the bleachers. Pony tail swinging with determination, she reviewed the plan in her mind. _I'm just going to sit down next to her, apologize, and start eating like everything's normal. And then she'll forgive me and we'll be friends again, and everything will be back to normal. I hope....._ She'd told Kurt her idea, and he'd encouraged her to do it- he missed having both his best friends hanging out with him. Pushing the escaped strands of hair out of her face, she rounded the corner and saw Rogue sitting out in the sun- with Risty.  
  
"Oh," she said to her self, crestfallen. _I didn't know she was back._ She quickly ducked back around the corner, leaning against the wall, shoulders slumped. _So much for that idea. Now she'll probably never forgive me- she doesn't need me as a friend anymore, now that Risty's back in town._ Kitty hated feeling so bitter, but she couldn't help it. She'd tried and tried, but she just didn't like Risty. The British girl just creeped her out- nobody else seemed to notice, but Risty was always staring at Kurt. And she was downright rude to people, too. _And I hate how Rogue gets so nasty whenever they're together- they're always cutting other people down, like the popular girls at my old school who never said anything nice about anyone. But I guess I better get used to it._ With another sigh, she turned away, heading back to the cafeteria courtyard where everybody else was.  
  
Up in his tree, Remy watched Rogue talk to her friend, his sense of unease growing. The breeze blew their words to him, and he realized that Rogue was going to tell the other girl about him. Normally, he would have been overjoyed to know that she was talking about him, but now, all his instincts were screaming that the less Rogue's friend knew about him, the better. Unfortunately, since he was no telepath, he had no way of communicating this to Rogue, who didn't even know he was there. _I knew I should have told her about what it said in the file about her friend!_  
  
He'd been sitting up in the tree, waiting for Rogue to come out, but when he saw that she wasn't alone, he'd decided to stay hidden. Something about that girl was uncomfortably familiar, and it bothered Remy to be unable to place it. So, he'd stayed up in the tree, just watching.  
  
He heard more laughter, and started to pay more attention to their conversation. "No way- you met someone? I don't believe it!" Risty was saying, and he could see Rogue's blush.  
  
"No, really, Ah did! He's a mutant, lahke me, an' he's got the most incredible eyes...." She proceeded to give Risty an edited version of their relationship, and even though she left out their first meeting, or all discussion of their team affiliations, Remy still thought she'd said way too much.  
  
"So when do I get to meet your mysterious man?" To Remy, Risty's voice sounded downright predatory.  
  
Rogue shrugged. "Ah actually thought he'd be showin' up today, but Ah guess not. Ah mean, you'll get ta meet him eventually, Ah'm sure."  
  
Risty looked disappointed. "Wait, so he's in high school, and he just didn't come to class today?"  
  
"No," Rogue shook her head, "He's older than all that. He jus' sometimes comes ta see me at lunch an' stuff, that's all."  
  
"Ooh, an older man!" Risty teased, and Rogue blushed again. The bell rang then, to Remy's immense relief, and Risty picked up her bag, saying "I have stuff to do after school, but I'll pick you up around six for the concert tonight, okay?" Rogue nodded, and Risty turned away. The purpled haired girl walked directly under his tree, looked up, met his eyes- and winked at him. _Mon dieu, she knew I was here the whole time!_ Feeling indescribably chilled, he knew his instincts about Rogue's friend had been right. He'd heard her mention a concert- he knew something bad was going to happen there, knew it in his bones with unquestionable certainty. He had no choice- he had to go to that concert tonight, to protect Rogue.  
  
He dropped down from the tree, pausing just long enough to leave a card for Rogue. He knew she would come looking for it. Then, he left on his new mission- to figure a way into the concert, and find the best way to protect the girl he had to admit he loved. 


	27. Chapter 27

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 27  
  
Yes, the card he leaves for her is symbolic of something. If you want to know, ask me in a review and I'll tell you!  
  
And the song she's singing is 'Blasphemous Rumours," by Depeche Mode. Somehow it just seems to fit her.  
  
The moment Risty was out of sight, Rogue rushed to 'Remy's tree,' as she'd taken to calling it in her mind, searching for any sign of him. All she found was a card, laying against the trunk- the Jack of Spades. Confused, she just stared at it- he had been here then, but why hadn't he spoken to her? Why hadn't he let her know he was there? Was he back to merely spying on her again? She pocketed the card, pondering how things could have gotten so strange so suddenly.  
  
Walking back to the bleachers, she caught sight of Kurt and Kitty headed towards the field for gym, and returned hastily to her usual seat, so she wouldn't get stuck with a detention. Kurt waved to her, and she waved back at him, but he thought she seemed distracted by something.  
  
He turned to Kitty, standing next to him. "Kitty, I thought you vere going to go talk to her at lunch. Vhat happened?" He'd seen Kitty leave, and then she'd come back, looking sad and refusing to discuss it with the group at large.  
  
Kitty sighed. "There's, like, no point. It's not like she's gonna care about the rest of us now- Risty's back in town."  
  
"Kitty, that's not true! Of course she vould care! Ve don't stop being her friends just because her best friend is around. You should still apologize- she can have more than one friend."  
  
"Could have fooled me," Kitty muttered under her breath. She shook her head. "No way. I know I was, like, only her 'replacement' friend until Risty got back, and I refuse to take a back seat to someone like her. I'd rather, like, not even be friends if it's, like, gonna be like that. I have my pride, after all!"  
  
"Pryde!" The coach barked her name. "What have I said about people talking when I'm talking? Two laps, now!"  
  
Kurt shot her a sympathetic look, but there was nothing he could do. Everyone knew the p.e. coach hated the mutant kids, and he gave them every extra laps at every opportunity. Gritting her teeth and biting back the rude comments that wanted to escape, Kitty took off running.  
  
Rogue was oblivious to the goings- on down on the field- she was staring at her card, wondering what it meant. Sighing, she put it away, and tried to think about happier things, like Risty being back. But her mind wouldn't let her stop worrying, and it latched onto Risty's explanation and wouldn't let go. _She was home for a whole month and couldn't get to a phone or the computer even once the whole time? The Risty I know would have snuck off and made a phone call the first chance she got! Something doesn't add up here._ But try as she might, she couldn't make heads or tails of anything.  
  
Somehow, they all made it through the rest of the day without incident, and managed to get back home without mishap. The Professor had talked Logan into giving the kids a day off from training, so they could enjoy the concert that night, and Rogue made a point to go up to Logan and tell him "Ah'm goin' out tonight. Ta the concert with Risty- she came back."  
  
He just nodded. "Good, you remember our little talk. Yeah, go ahead, but try to make it in by curfew this time, huh?"  
  
She tried to make a joke of it. "What , ya mean my curfew isn't 3:30? But Logan, Ah thought Ah was special!" When he just glared at her, she said "A'right, I'll come back with the others. Okay?"  
  
"You do that, Stripes." She turned to go, but Logan called her back. "You never did tell me what happened to the racquet, ya know."  
  
She visibly paled. "Uh, Ah dunno- Ah jus' got mad 'cause Ah lost ta Scott and threw it, an it broke Ah guess. Maybe we should get better ones or something." She dashed off before he could ask her anything more, and he was even more worried than he'd been before. He could smell the lie- she knew what had happened, and she was scared to tell him. But why?  
  
Pondering yet another mystery Rogue had set for them, Logan set off to do some thinking, which in his case, was facilitated by beating things up. Going into the recently rebuilt Danger Room, he set the simulation for a level 10 run of his special program, and locked the door.  
  
After escaping Logan, Rogue retreated to her room, and lied down on her bed. Her headache hadn't come back, but now she was regretting the wisdom of going to such a crowded event. What if someone touched her? What if a lot of someones touched her? She'd get mobbed, hurt.... People really didn't like mutants these days.  
  
Her thoughts went back to Remy, and the card he'd left after failing to talk to her at school. His actions seemed so.... cryptic. She was sure the card meant something- she vaguely remembered Irene reading cards for her when she'd been small, and telling her that all the cards have special meanings, but she couldn't think of what it could mean. _It means that he's crazy, that's what it means,_ she thought bitterly. _Just when I start to think I understand him, I realize he's just as loony as all the rest of the guys I know._ She pulled out her book, and took all the other cards out, laying them out in a row. There was the Ace of Hearts, singed around the edges but miraculously still whole, from the battle; the Queen of Hearts that he'd handed her before she and Kitty had followed the Brotherhood on Pietro's rescue mission; the King of Hearts that he'd left in her locker the next day; and now the Jack of Spades. It didn't seem to fit. Still pondering the vagaries of Remy's choice in cards, she fell into a light slumber.  
  
She awoke, hours later, to hear Kurt yelling through the door "Rogue, Risty's here! Hurry up!" She sat up suddenly- she didn't even realize she'd fallen asleep. Quickly changing into a different outfit, she rushed out the door and climbed into Risty's small black car.  
  
"What took you?" Risty asked conversationally, and Rogue quickly thought up a story, not wanting to admit she'd fallen asleep. "Oh, Logan didn't want ta let me go. Ah had ta convince him Ah'd come home on time this time." Risty nodded, and Rogue, hearing a song she liked on the radio, turned it up and started singing along.  
  
"Ah don' wan' ta spread any blasphemous rumors but Ah think that God's got a sick sense of humor...." Risty just looked at her, laughing, and Rogue smiled and kept singing. "An' when Ah die, Ah expect ta find 'im laughing....."  
  
The song finished, and Rogue turned the radio down. Risty was still laughing, and she teased "Wow, maybe we should do karaoke some night!"  
  
"Aw, shut up! Ah'm way better than karaoke!"  
  
"That is a rather morbid song, you know." Risty commented, and rogue looked at her funny for a moment. _Risty thinks that's morbid? She usually listens to Manson and she thinks an old school 80's song is morbid? What space alien invaded the body of my best friend?_ But all she said out loud was "whatevah."  
  
The rest of the trip to the concert hall was in silence. When they got there, Risty paid for both their tickets. When Rogue tried to protest, she said "No, it's to make up for me not being able to call you while I was gone." All Rogue could do was shrug and follow her inside.  
  
But when they got inside, Rogue knew she's been right. There were too many people, she didn't know how to deal around this many people! "Risty, Ah don' know 'bout this- there's so many people!"  
  
But Risty said "Nonsense, it'll be fun, you'll see." She dragged rogue further into the crowd, and Rogue lookeda round, catching sight of people she knew. Kurt was with Amanda, and Kitty had been roped into taking Jamie. Turning the other way, she caught sight of Scott and Jean, and her eyes lingered on them for a moment. Risty caught sight of her looking at them, and commented "You still have a thing for him, don't you?"  
  
Rogue shook her head. "No way. They're practically a couple now; an' Ah've got a guy, remember?"  
  
Risty sniffed. "Well, they do deserve each other. And you, my girl, can do better."  
  
They moved further into the crowd, and Rogue started to realx some, maybe she could handle this after all. The band was just starting to get into the full swing of things, and Rogue was starting to groove to the music a bit, when the unthinkable happened. The girl next to her, teetering in impossible high platform heels, overbalanced. As she started to fall, she grabbed onto the nearest thing to steady herself- and the nearest thing happened to be Rogue's sleeve. Rogue watched in horrified slow motion as everything happened at once- the girl grabbe3d onto her arm to pull herself back up- her bare arm. Immediately knocked unconscious, she fell back down. At that moment, the crowd started to surge around her, throwing her into contact with way too many people at once, and her mind was flooded with memories and thoughts in such rapid succession that she couldn't handle it. Holding her head, she backed up, trying to escape the crowd, but there was nowhere to go, nowhere to turn. She was violently thrown into Risty- and a she touched her best friend's skin and absorbed her memories, she let out a tortured, betrayed scream. Memories churning in her mind, she let go, and just became someone else. Crazed, desperate, she ran, trying to get out, just trying to escape.  
  
From an overhanging balcony, Remy saw the whole thing, but he was too far away to help her. He saw Risty's transformation from purple haired teenager to blue-skinned Mystique, heard Rogue's anguished cry. He saw everyone dropping like flies around her, saw her transform into Juggernaut and Sabretooth. In all the destruction and mayhem, he alone saw her escape, and he ran across the catwalk and threw open the roof access door. He had to follow her, had to save her.  
  
Meanwhile, the rest of the team quickly assembled. Scott barked orders at them to follow Sabretooth, and Kitty ordered Jamie to stay behind. Kurt grabbed the young boy and Said "Protect 'Manda for me!" Jamie nodded, aware of being given an important responsibility, and he and Amanda stayed there, watching as Scott, Jean, Kurt and Kitty ran after the villain who had wrecked the concert.  
  
"I contacted the Professor- he'll be here with Wolverine and Storm as soon as he can. Has anyone seen Rogue?" nobody had, and that worried Jean, but she thought _Rogue's probably looking after her friend- she can protect herself._ 


	28. Chapter 28

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 28  
  
When Rogue came to herself, she didn't know where she was. She found herself in an alleyway, clutching a trashcan for support, memories running through her head. "Control, control, Ah'm me, Ah'm me!" she cried to herself, desperately trying to maintain her control. All the memories in her head, all the spirits trapped inside her mind, were rising up in an unholy cacophony inside her, and it hurt so much....  
  
A sudden sound of movement came from the mouth of the alley, startling her, and she looked up to find Mystique standing there watching her, almost sadly. "You!" Rogue screamed, and flew at the woman, throwing punches and kicks that somehow never landed. Mystique blocked all her moves, but wouldn't fight back.  
  
"Why won' ya fight back?" Rogue screamed at her, and all Mystique said was "I don't want to hurt you, Rogue."  
  
Rogue leaned back against the wall, giving up, too exhausted to fight with the shape shifter anymore. "Ah think it's a little too late for that!" She replied with venomous bitterness.  
  
Mystique looked at her, and said slowly "I know I've hurt you, but I only posed as your friend so I could be near you."  
  
"Liar!" Rogue spat, hatred in her eyes. "You only used me ta spy on the X- Men!"  
  
Mystique shook her head. "No Rogue, it's not that simple. You touched me- if you have my memories, then you know what our relationship really is."  
  
"Ah don' know anythin'." Rogue crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for whatever new lie the woman could come up with. She knew she should run away, but she had to stay, had to find out the truth, the reason behind the deception.  
  
"Admit the truth, Rogue. I adopted you when you were four. Search your memories! You are my daughter." As she spoke, she slowly transformed herself into the smiling, blonde woman of Rogue's earliest childhood memories. The woman Irene always told her to be nice to, the woman who always brought her toys and candy as a little girl on her rare, infrequent visits. Rogue's mother.  
  
"Oh mah gawd," Rogue said weakly, recognizing the truth. "But why?" She whispered softly, desperate for a reason.  
  
"I just wanted to be close to you, to be there for you as I never was when you were growing up. I just wanted to keep you from making the same mistakes I did," Mystique said soothingly, and Rogue was so desperate for something, anything, for anyone to help her, that she would have even accepted help from this woman, a mortal enemy who was the closest of relations. But then came the sour note.  
  
"And I got back just in time, too. You do need looking after- I said you could do better than Scott, but one of the Acolytes is hardly better, Rogue. You could do so much better than Magneto's trash."  
  
Rogue turned on her. "Yer nothin' but Magneto's trash, too!" She could feel the spirits inside her rising with her anger, taking over, taking control, and she let them, giving way again, becoming someone else and running. Moments later, she realized that she had Kitty's face and form, and she had just run through a wall. Looking around, she found herself in a warehouse full of electronics supplies, and she staggered, leaning against a wall of giant t.v. boxes. A spasm of pain dropped her to the floor, and she curled up in the fetal position, whimpering.  
  
Her head was pounding, skull threatening to split any moment, and suddenly she wanted them all gone, all out. All the memories, all the thoughts and hopes and dreams of a million and one people who were making her brain their home- she wanted them gone. But she didn't know how to fight them back. Something else briefly managed to take control again, going on a rampage amongst the boxes of electronics, before Rogue could regain herself, and she could hear voices and the sounds of sirens from outside the warehouse.  
  
Outside the electronics warehouse, Jean had picked up some kind of psychic signal, and they established a base of operations outside the warehouse, waiting for the others to arrive.  
  
The van pulled up, and the Professor wheeled out, followed by Wolverine and Storm. "Professor, I've picked up a signal- I think we've got Sabretooth in there."  
  
The sounds of more destruction came from inside the building, and before anyone could tell him not to, Cyclops had fired off an optic blast. A sound somewhere between a tortured scream and a roar came from inside the building.  
  
The Professor concentrated for a moment, and came out of it looking confused. "I've got only one presence inside the building, but that presence is full of different mutant signatures. Jean, where is Rogue?"  
  
Jean shook her head. "I don't know- after Sabretooth appeared, and Juggernaut, we couldn't find her anywhere. We just thought she was trying to protect her friend- you know, Risty."  
  
As Cyclops fired off another optic blast, Wolverine caught a familiar scent on the air. "Don't fire- that's not Sabretooth, it's Rogue!" He called out, but it was too late.  
  
"What?" Cyclops asked, turning towards Wolverine. "How can it be Rogue? We saw Sabretooth, he was attacking the stage!"  
  
The Professor answered for him. "We think Rogue's powers have gone haywire, and she is unable to control the memories of the psyches inside her. Do not attack her- I can help her, but we do not have a lot of time."  
  
Cyclops nodded, and he called out "Rogue, please, come out! Let your friends help you!" Kitty and Kurt joined their voices to hers, but they heard nothing. Then, Rogue's hoarse shout of "Ah ain' got no friends!"  
  
Inside the warehouse, Rogue was curled against the wall, hiding behind a bank of shelves. Cyclops' optic blasts had caught her, and she was cradling her ribs, gritting her teeth in agony. When she heard his voice, she wanted to believe him, but he'd already fired at her..... More memories flashed through her mind- how they'd used her as an enemy during practice sims, before she'd joined the team; Kitty and Kurt being so quick to judge her; Risty's betrayal.... "Ah ain' got no friends!" She'd yelled back, and then collapsed into a fit of coughing as her injured ribs poked against her lungs.  
  
A voice spoke up from the shadows. "y' always got Remy, chere."  
  
She turned in shock, ignoring the pain from her ribs, and drew herself up into a fighting stance. "Ah know it's you, Mystique, an' Ah ain' gonna believe any of yoah lies."  
  
Remy stepped forward out of the shadows, gently holding her up as she began to fall. "Do Ah have t' kiss y' again t' make y' believe it really be me?" He asked, and she sagged against him in relief, knowing it really was him. She hadn't told Risty- Mystique- whoever she was- about the kiss.  
  
Remy supported her weight, holding her in his arms as she leaned against him, whispering "shh, shh, it be okay petite, everythin' gonna be okay now, Remy be here, ain' nobody gonna hurt y' no mo'."  
  
Outside, Jean and Cyclops were having a hurried consultation. "Look, I've got to try! I know we don't really get a long, but she helped me- I at least owe it to her to try!"  
  
"Jean, I don't want you trying to go into her mind! It'll just make her more upset with us, less likely to trust us!"  
  
Jean shook her head. "I'm just going to try to calm her down, try to soothe her, so she'll be willing to come out. I have to try!"  
  
Hands to her head, she sought out Rogue's mind, trying to project soothing thoughts. Suddenly, Rogue's voice screamed "Get outta mah head!" and Jean was flung back against the van with a wave of telekinetic power.  
  
Remy held her as she suddenly stiffened, and then screamed at the people outside to stay out of her mind. She fell back against him, muttering weakly "oh gawd Rem, make it stop- make 'em stop!"  
  
"Shh, chere, it gon' be okay, Remy gon' make it better. Remy make 'em help y'." Still supporting her, he helped her walk to the door, pushing it open for her. "Quit attackin' her, y' jus' makin' it worse!" He shouted at the X- Men ranged around outside the door, staring at him and Rogue in open shock.  
  
An unfamiliar, Cajun accented voice shouted at the team as the warehouse door opened, and a trench coat clad figure with demon eyes came out, supporting Rogue as she tried to walk towards them. He was immediately recognizable as one of Magneto's team, and Cyclops' first reaction to the sight of the Acolyte with Rogue was to attack, and he could hear the 'snikt' sound of Wolverine unsheathing his claws behind him. The Acolyte put up a hand, the one that wasn't supporting Rogue, and said "Remy jus' be tryin' t' help her."  
  
Desperately, hoping his gamble would work to end the stalemate so Rogue's friends would help her, he dropped his mental shields and projected a thought to the man in the wheelchair as strongly as he could. *Worry about me later, just help her!* Rogue's Professor gave him an almost imperceptible nod, and then said out loud "do not attack him."  
  
Wolverine and the others stared at the bald man in surprise, but Rogue's cry turned all attention back on her. "Pofessor, it hurts, make it stop!"  
  
She almost fell to her knees, and the Professor immediately went into his trance state, trying to gain access to her mind. Meanwhile, Logan's dislike of the Acolyte's presence was momentarily forgotten as he tried to talk Rogue through the pain.  
  
"C'mon Stripes, you can do this, don't give in to it! You're lettin' em push you around- the Rogue I know never lets anyone push her around! Fight it!"  
  
Rogue focused on his words like a lifeline, trying desperately to focus, to clear her mind until there was just her. She tried to push through the pain, through the memories of betrayal and trust taken and abused, tried to focus on getting herself back. The effort was finally too much, and as her eyes rolled to the back of her head, she slumped forward, unconscious. Before Logan could catch her, the Acolyte had already scooped her up and was effortlessly cradling her in his arms.  
  
Wordlessly, the teenagers got into the van, and Remy climbed in as well, still holding Rogue in his arms. The others let him have the back seat, whispering amongst themselves and giving him sidelong glances full of questions, but he had eyes only for Rogue, staring down at her intently to make sure she still lived and breathed. Nothing else mattered right now- he could deal with their questions and his own affiliations later. Right now, she was the most important thing in the world. He had never been more afraid for the welfare of another human being in his life, and the intensity of his fear was sobering and all-encompassing.  
  
Before the Professor wheeled up the ramp, Scott placed a hand on his arm to stop him. "Professor, I'm not sure about letting him into the mansion- he's still the enemy, after all."  
  
The Professor looked back at Remy and Rogue in the back, saw the fear in the young man's demon eyes and the way he held her, and said "I don't think he is our enemy anymore, Scott." 


	29. Chapter 29

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 29  
  
Thanks for all the positive reviews! I was practically squealing when I checked my email and saw all the review thingies. And it was sort of amusing, because I was at work, and everyone in the office was trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. Oh well, they all think I'm crazy anyways.  
  
About the card.... It was very significant for Remy to leave her that particular card. See, the Jack of Spades corresponds to the Prince of Swords card in Tarot, and that card is supposed to signify a young, headstrong man coming to the rescue. So, he left that card for her to mean that he was going to protect her, that he was going to try and save her from whatever would go wrong. Sweet, huh?  
  
Anyways, I'm not really happy with the way this chapter turned out. I rewrote it a bunch of times, and I still don't like it. I can't seem to get some of the characterizations right in this one, no matter how many times I rewrite. But even though I hate it, it was a necessary transitional chapter. So, if you think this one sucks, you're not alone. But I wanted to get it out tonight, because I know people have been waiting, and since it's my birthday, please be nice with the reviews! Pretty please? With cherries on top? I swear the next one will be way better!!! And it will be up a lot sooner!!!  
  
Atop the roof of the warehouse, a lone figure stood, watching as the X-Men and Rogue's Acolyte departed. _I was so close to having my children back! If she'd accepted me, I know Kurt would have gone along- he's such a follower, he would have never stood up to her if she'd wanted to join me._ In her won twisted way, she really did love her children, but her sense of motherly affection expressed itself in ways no sane person could ever understand.  
  
Engrossed in pondering other ways to get into her children's' good graces, Mystique didn't sense the presence of another person until it was too late. Even as she turned, throwing herself into a defensive position, something hard and heavy hit her on the side of the head, throwing her clear across the roof top to lie in a heap of crumpled unconsciousness. Letting out a roar of triumph, feral eyes glowing in the moonlight, he stalked across the roof and roughly picked her body up, carelessly throwing it across his shoulders. Oh yes, his hunt tonight had definitely been good.  
  
For Remy, the ride to the Institute seemed like a painful eternity. Rogue's breathing was shallow and labored, and he added another worry to the ever growing pile in his mind. What if she didn't wake up? What if she did, but she wasn't his chere, but instead some manifestation of one of the memories trapped inside her mind? What if she could never get her memories under control, and became even more unstable? She had to come back to herself, come back as herself. Everyone else he'd ever cared about was lost to him, one way or another- he couldn't stand the thought of losing her too.  
  
He hardly noticed when the van pulled through the wrought iron gates and up the long sloping drive towards the house. When motion ceased, he exited with all the others, moving mechanically, like an automaton, devoid of all feeling. He simply followed them inside, not speaking; going through a labyrinth of hallways and corridors he didn't even try to remember. Either he'd be staying here and he'd figure it out another time, or his memories would be wiped, so what was the point? He looked down at her every few seconds- she lay so still in his arms, so peaceful and serene seeming- but with such wrongness!  
  
At some point the teenagers had broken away, leaving him with only Xavier, Storm and Wolverine for guides. Moments later, he found that they had entered a medical ward of some kind, and a large, blue-furred man entered the room at a run, demanding that he put Rogue down. For a moment his mind shut down, and he refused to put her down, fearing that if he did, she would just fade away, just vanish before his eyes.  
  
The sudden, calming voice of Charles Xavier broke through his mental fog. "It is all right now, you can put her down. She is safe here, Dr. McCoy will help her. You must let us help her." Rogue's Professor spoke calmly and soothingly, and his voice immediately snapped Remy out of his mental fugue. Gently, he lay her down on the closest of the hospital beds and stood there looking down at her, lost.  
  
Xavier spoke again. "Logan, Ororo, why don't you go help Jean and Scott with the others." It was a politely framed order, and while Ororo complied with her usual grace, Logan shot the Professor a look that clearly stated that he was leaving under protest. When the doors swished shut behind them, Charles suggested "Please, take a seat," and the young man with the strange eyes collapsed into a nearby chair, still silent.  
  
Hank turned to them, pausing to grab a hospital gown, and as he pulled a curtain shut around the bed, asked "Charles, what happened to her?" His eyes asked another question, flicking towards the Acolyte seated in the chair.  
  
Out loud, Xavier said "It seems that Rogue had some sort of mental overload and lost control of her powers." Telepathically, he said *the young man is no threat, Hank. He brought her to us, and he is the only one who knows exactly what happened to her.*  
  
Hank had disappeared behind the curtain; his words were muffled as he commented "Sounds similar to what happened to Jean a few months ago."  
  
"Perhaps," Charles replied, watching Remy out of the corner of his eye. "But this seemed more like overextension, not growth of her powers. The fact that worries me is that these sorts of mental stresses come on gradually- she would have been suffering the effects for some time before tonight."  
  
"And she would have been much too stubborn to come to us for help, either." Hank replied, a steady beeping noise indicating that he had managed to attach a heart monitor to Rogue's unconscious form.  
  
In the sudden silence that followed, Charles took the opportunity to study the young Acolyte. He was fully aware of the man's identity- when he had briefly touched Rogue's mind, her consciousness had been fighting for control, and her thoughts had been full of him. It was a delicate situation- Remy was the only one besides Rogue herself who knew what had happened, and that was information they desperately needed to know. The young man kept glancing over at the curtain hiding Rogue from his view, and his distress when he had brought her in and refused to let go of her was telling. It bespoke a strong bond between the two, which further complicated matters. He knew how the others would react to Remy's presence in the first place, especially Logan and Scott- their reactions had been obviously negative even before they had reached the mansion. _But if they are close, his presence could be beneficial to her, and could help her to heal. The others might not agree, but for now, it is the best course of action._ Confident in his decision, he spoke aloud. "Remy, is there anything you can tell us about what happened?"  
  
Instead of answering, Remy reached absently for Rogue's gloves, lying at the top of the pile of her clothing that Dr. McCoy had placed on the bed next to him. The curtain had been pulled back, and he could see her now, lying on the bed so pale and still, looking so small, almost swallowed up by the blankets. Clutching the gloves like talismans, he stared at Xavier for a moment before speaking. Succinctly, he told them about how he had seen her sleeve ripped off, and how everyone had run into her at once, touching her bare skin. He described how, after touching Risty, she had screamed, and then changed into first Sabretooth, then Juggernaut. He told them how she had run towards the stage, busting through the wall, and how he had tracked her to the warehouse. "She be holdin' 'er side when Remy find her- Eye-boy got her couple a times." His voice clearly expressed his dislike for Cyclops attack on Rogue; he hadn't realized that they didn't know it was her. "Dere be somethin' more. Risty nevah existed in de first place. Magneto nevah could find nothin' on 'er. When Rogue touched de girl- she turned into Mystique."  
  
Xavier expression was full of kindly, grandfatherly sadness. _Of all people to betray........._ He did not continue the thought. Rogue had been through so many betrayals, had been lied to so many times... He feared for her, for her ability to trust people. _We have to stand by her, show her that people can be trusted not to betray her._ Remy had subsided back into silence, watching the rise and fall of Rogue's breath, seemingly oblivious to everything else. Hank had left the room briefly, going into his lab to pull Rogue's medical file, and it was just him and Remy now.  
  
Charles spoke again. "I want to thank you for helping her, Remy." The young man's strange eyes narrowed. "Remy din' do it f' thanks, did it f' her." Xavier nodded, expecting this answer. "Will you be going back to Magneto, then?" He asked, his tone conversational.  
  
Remy gave him a strange, inscrutable look. "Don' think so. Already left de man's organization. Why don' y' jus' look in m' head, if y' don' believe me?" He was suddenly weary of the mistrust, the questions, the whole thing. But surprisingly, Xavier shook his head. "No, I believe you."  
  
At that moment, Hank came back in. "She has some cracked ribs, a sprained ankle and some scrapes and bruises, but other than that, her injuries are minor. She should heal perfectly fine- when she wakes up." The look he shared with Charles communicated his concern over that point. The trauma to her mind had been very severe, and no one knew when she would come out of her unconscious state. The Professor nodded, and began wheeling himself to the doors. "I need to go speak to the others students. Someone will come down to show Remy to a room when we are finished." Hank merely nodded, looking over at the still figure on the bed and the young man even now holding her small hand between his gloved ones, whispering softly to her in French. He flicked the switch to turn his portable monitoring device on- it would allow him to get readouts on her heart rate and other physical data even if he wasn't in the room. With one last look at the two still in the room, Hank turned and followed the Professor out.  
  
By unspoken consent, the rest of the students and staff had gathered in the rec room. When Charles entered the room, a scene of mild chaos greeted him. Some of the younger recruits were being calmed by Ororo- they were worried about losing control of their powers too, since it had now happened to two of their peers. Jean and Scott were talking worriedly to Kurt, while Logan wore his usual impassive scowl. Kitty sat on a couch, halfway phased into it, looking lost and alone.  
  
One by one, as they noticed his presence, the students quieted, looking expectantly towards him for any news about their fallen friend. Before he could say anything, Kitty spoke up. "Did she wake up yet, Professor?"  
  
He shook his head sadly. "Not yet, Kitty. But there is no reason to believe she will not. Exhaustion after a mental trauma of this sort is common." She looked crestfallen, and he hastened to add "I expect she will recover, but it is going to take time. She will need all of our help to get through this." He paused, debating the wisdom of the next thing he wanted to say, but hen thought _No, there have been too many secrets already. They deserve to know._ "It has been revealed that Rogue's friend Risty Wylde was really Mystique. She will be feeling very angry and betrayed, and now more than ever, you will need to prove to her that you are her true friends."  
  
For a moment, all Kitty could think was _I was right to not like her after all!_ But she immediately felt ashamed of herself. _what kind of a friend am I? Rogue just got hurt by the one person she let herself trust, and I'm gloating because I was right to never have liked her?_ She shook her head, unaware of the Professor watching her.  
  
Scott asked "Professor, is she hurt?" He bore a look of shame, and Xavier realized that Scott blamed himself for not realizing that they weren't attacking enemies, but a teammate. "Her injuries are minor, Scott. Do not blame yourself- you had no way of knowing." But he shook his head, refusing to renounce the blame. "No, I should have known where she was." Jean laid a hand of comfort on his shoulder, and he bowed his head.  
  
When Logan commented "you left that Acolyte in the med lab with her, Chuck?" Scott looked up, eyes blazing. "How could you leave her down there with him? He's one of Magneto's- how do we know this whole thing with Mystique wasn't just some plan of his?"  
  
Although the Professor's voice was calm, it carried authority. "Remy has left Magneto's service, and he will be staying here for a time. It is possible that he can help Rogue to recover." Outrage greeted this announcement, and for once, Charles allowed himself to feel annoyance. _How can mutants and humans ever hope to live in peace when mutants themselves are so divided by ideology?_ Logan looked dangerously thoughtful, while Scott looked like he was about to storm out any minute. "We will give him the benefit of the doubt. Everyone deserves a chance to start over." Were his last words on the matter, and Scott did storm out. Jean gave the Professor one look, and then went after him. Even though she wasn't sure she trusted the Acolyte, she had faith in the Professor's decisions.  
  
The other students also left- Scott's abrupt departure had signaled the end of the meeting. Before Kitty could make it to the door, Xavier called her back. "Kitty, could you please show our guest to one of the available rooms?" He had picked her because she had evidenced the least hostility when the Acolyte had been mentioned. "Sure," she said, subdued, before leaving the room.  
  
Logan had stalked off, muttering something about familiar scents, and Ororo had left with Jamie, who as the youngest, was rather confused about the whole situation. Hank gave Xavier a long look, and commented "well, that went exceedingly well." It could only be construed as sarcasm, and the Professor nodded absently, sighing. "Things will get better, Hank. I will help her try to regain some sort of control over her own mind. It's the only thing we can do, for now." They each left the room, lost in their own respective thoughts.  
  
When Kitty reached the med bay, she saw Remy, still in the same position as when Hank and Xavier had left the room, holding Rogue's hand as she slept the sleep of the deeply unconscious. The sight made her feel better and worse all at once. Better, because it meant she had been right in her estimations of his feelings for Rogue; and worse because she was so scared that Rogue wouldn't ever come out of it. She phased through the doors and said his name, but he didn't respond. She even tapped him on the shoulder a couple of times, but he didn't respond to that either. _Fine then, time to do this the hard way._ She phased completely through him, turning to stand directly in front of him. "Hi, I'm Kitty. The Professor told me to come down and show you where your room was."  
  
He just looked at her in surprise for a moment- the sensation of being phased through wasn't exactly pleasant. Then, comprehension of her words registered with him, and he slowly let go of Rogue's hand, rising to his full height to tower above Kitty. She backed away a bit- having the full intensity of his devil-eyed gaze turned on her was a bit unnerving. "Somebody should stay wit' her'- it not be good for her t' wake up all alone down 'ere." Kitty nodded, shaking off her momentary sense of uneasiness, and said "Dr. McCoy's gonna stay down here with her. So she won't be alone." Kitty could tell he wanted to stay, but he finally turned and followed her to the door.  
  
Wordlessly he followed her up several flights of stairs and down several more hallways, before she finally stopped before one particular door. "Here's your room. You're next to Kurt, and he doesn't, like, really hate you that much, so if you need anything, he'll probably help you." She was too upset and worried about Rogue to notice how harsh her words sounded to Remy. He simply nodded, accepting her words and trying not to dwell on them too much. She turned to go, walking briskly down the hall, but his voice stopped her. He didn't know what possessed him to ask.  
  
"Remy suppose y' hate 'im too, huh?" But surprisingly, the young girl shook her head, blue eyes bright and earnest. "No, I'm probably, like, the only person around here who understands. She told me a little bit...." here her voice faltered, but she continued a moment later. "She's, like, gonna need you. Even if she never admits it." Remy blinked at her, taken aback somewhat by her honesty, and she smiled at him- a tired, ragged edged smile, but a welcoming one nonetheless. "Goodnight, Remy," she said, moving off down the hall again, and he said "Goodnight t' you, chat petite." As he pushed open the door to his room, he heard her giggle, and he smiled, for some reason feeling a little more hopeful. 


	30. Chapter 30

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 30  
  
You guys are the best!!!!! See, I was cheating by posting on my birthday- that way, all the reviews would be like little presents all week long. And it worked!!! And I'm really trying to post fast, but real life (and t.v. shows) get in the way. But c'mon- it could be worse, I could be one of those people that only updates every other week or something, so don't complain too much!!  
  
And now, some fun with the Acolytes. Hmmm, it comes to my attention that St. John just gets so abused in my fic.... I'll have to write one for him where he gets to set fire to lots of stuff, to make him feel better. Right now, he's torching the disclaimer, which has been mysteriously absent for many chapters....  
  
Most of Friday had passed before Remy's absence was noticed by the others. Ironically, it was St. John, the least observant among them, who discovered he was missing. The surveillance tape from the Xavier Institute had started to wear out from being rewound so often, and when he couldn't see the pretty flames anymore, he got bored and went looking for a drinking partner. He made the mistake of asking Piotr where Remy had gone to in Magneto's hearing, and needless to say, the Master of Magnetism was less than pleased that the Cajun had managed to escape; it was going to make things that much more difficult for him.  
  
By the time Piotr had managed to unwind the metal kitchen chairs from around St. John's body, Magneto was in a slightly better frame of mind. Having sent Sabretooth out to track the thief, and leaving strict orders for Colossus to send Mastermind to him immediately upon the man's return, he escaped into his lab, slamming the door behind himself.  
  
"Wot's 'is problem?" St. John asked, bruised and bewildered. Sometimes he almost thought Magneto was trying to hurt him! But who'd want to hurt him?  
  
Piotr simply shrugged- though he had some inkling of what Magneto's 'problem' could be, he didn't want to voice his thoughts aloud, and especially not to Pyro. "I do not know, comrade," was his only reply.  
  
The Australian shrugged it off. "Oh, right then. Have a beer mate?" He offered, wandering back into the t.v. room and digging around in the cooler by the couch- he'd accidentally managed to set fire to the refrigerator some time last week, and Magneto wasn't exactly the type to call for a repairman. With a sigh, Piotr followed him into the room and accepted the beer- wasn't like there was anything else to do, after all. He gingerly settled his bulk on the other end of the couch, and didn't complain when St. John flipped the channels around, finally settling on a cartoon. St. John raised his bottle for a toast, though to judge by the smell of his breath he was in no position to be able to think up one. Dutifully, Piotr clinked bottles with him, silently wishing Remy luck in evading Sabretooth. He tried not to envy the Cajun for managing to leave when he, too, so desperately wished to be free of the yoke of servitude to Magneto- but deep in his heart, an ember of hope grew. Someday, he would be free too- him and his family.  
  
During the past week, Magneto had been busy studying the information he and Gambit had retrieved from the F.O.H. headquarters, calling in favors for more information when necessary and analyzing the data. The operation was much larger than he had previously suspected- the 'neighborhood service organization' front was a cover for something much, much more. Not only was the organization running military style training camps in the remote areas of the northern united states, but they also had several 'research and development' facilities offshore, where cheap slave labor worked to assemble what looked to be the basic components for Sentinel robots. Some of the financial records from Creed's computer answered Magneto's question of where Bolivar Trask had gotten some of his funding from- not only had they given him money for his robots, but now they were trying to break him out of prison as well. More immediately disturbing was the fact that several 'testing facilities' were located in Nevada, Arizona and Utah; the records referred to gene extractions, splicing, and other experiments on mutant subjects that were horrific enough to have come out of his childhood nightmares from Auschwitz.  
  
There had been legislative briefs on the computer as well- proposals for things like mutant registration, mandatory genetic testing at birth, and a strict segregationist policy. That last one didn't bother Magneto so much- he agreed that humans and mutants should live separately, if humans even had to share the world with mutants at all. But the segregationist policies espoused in the documents were far more than separate but equal- the bills called for something akin to the concentration camps he remembered from Poland, slave labor and horrible deaths. This was what Graydon Creed wanted for all of homo superior- slow, agonizing death, simply for being born with different genes.  
  
There was no question in Magneto's mind that Creed must be stopped- but his own curiosity remained. _What made the man hate us so much? Jealousy, that he was not born superior to normal humans, turning into a desire to destroy what he can't have?_ At that moment, something beeped on the other side of the lab, jolting him from his musings about the causes of human hatred. Turning, he walked to the second bank of computers along the far wall, staring at the genetic analysis upon the screen. Not only had the computer finished analyzing the skin cells from Creed's glasses, but it had found several matches to known DNA samples already ion its memory. _Well, isn't that interesting,_ he thought with dark amusement, looking at the names attached to those samples. _No wonder she has always hated him- and it does explain her mysterious absence..._ His mind wandered back into history, thinking about a time long ago when a young blue skinned associate of his had mysteriously vanished for several years, only to reappear on his doorstep one day, tearing up a birth certificate. "Now they'll never know," she had said, and at the time, he'd thought it had been her own past she had been destroying. Now, it all made sense to him. He smiled, not a pleasant smile. _Well, with parents like those two, no wonder he hates mutants._  
  
When he emerged from his lab several hours later, he found that it was nearing midnight. Mastermind hadn't yet returned, and neither had Sabretooth. He felt almost pleased- his plans were finally starting to take a definite shape. But the momentary pleasure he felt evaporated when he saw the rest of his team sitting on the couch, drunk and reeking, watching a Powerpuff Girls marathon and laughing together like idiots. _Sometimes, the idea of creating a clone army sounds almost appealing..._ He thought, wondering yet again what ever had possessed him to recruit Pyro in the first place. His desire to cause more bodily harm to the firebug was put on hold, however, by the loud roar that signaled Sabretooth's arrival.  
  
A frighteningly triumphant look on his feral face, the large man swaggered into the room, tossing a body down on the coffee table without concern. "I didn't get the Cajun, but I know where he went- Xavier got him. Found this instead- figured you might want it more."  
  
Magneto looked down at Mystique, lying haphazardly across the coffee table, a nasty looking bruise blossoming across the side of her face, and merely said "indeed. Take her to the lab; the other is of no consequence." Sabretooth complied, smiling like the predator he was- the idea of Magneto inflicting pain upon Mystique pleased him.  
  
Floating himself down the hallway, Magneto entered his soundproofed study and locked the door behind him. Pulling a cell phone from his pocket, he dialed carefully, spoke a code phrase, and within several minutes, a woman's delicately Cajun- tinged voice spoke in his ear. "Where is he?"  
  
"Your thief is in Bayville, New York." He proceeded to give the Institute's exact address, and he could practically hear her purring in pleasure over the phone. She'd been waiting quite some time for her revenge, and who was he to deny it to her, now that the man was no more use to him? Besides, her organization could be useful to him- it would be essential to establish a good working relationship. They spoke for another minute, and when he clicked the 'end' button, he smiled again. _Such a pity about Gambit..... But betrayal has its price._ Composing his face, he left the room, preparing to go deal with Mystique. Before he had Mastermind rearrange her memories, he had questions he wanted answered. 


	31. Chapter 31

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 31  
  
I'm uber sorry for it taking so long for me to get this up... Damn life keeps getting in the way again. Lots of friends birthdays, work stuff, family stuff... But hey, it can't be too bad, you're getting two chapters for the price of one, so don't complain too much, kay? And if you're lucky, I might even get a third one up by tonight.  
  
Oh yeah, ((this means someone's talking in another language)) and I'm not even going to try to mess with writing what a Cajun person's accent would sound like while speaking French, so when people speak in other languages, they don't have accents, just like in their own thoughts. This simplifies things for me ever so much...  
  
Remy woke with the dawn. For a moment he was confused, looking around the unfamiliar and expensively furnished room, but swiftly memory returned with all the gentleness of a sledgehammer. _Rogue!_  
  
Dressing quickly in his same rather battered and beat up clothes, he raced down to the med bay; he'd paid attention when Kitty had led him out the night before. As he came up the hallway, he saw Dr. McCoy seated in a chair next to Rogue's bed, marking something in her charts. He didn't look like he'd slept at all.  
  
The doors swooshed open for him, and Remy stepped inside quickly, making his way over to the other man and taking a seat next to him. "Dere be any changes?" he asked, concern evident in his tone. Dr. McCoy looked over at him, wondering. He wanted to trust the Professor's judgment of the young man; but Charles hadn't been there, hadn't seen the dangerous efficiency with which Remy and his companions had fought. Hank wasn't really sure what to think of the man before him- the worry Remy showed over Rogue's condition seemed to be real, but was anything else? Shaking loose the thoughts from his mind, he decided to put his doubts aside for the moment. _Charles is right- people do deserve second chances._ "Her condition remains stable, but she hasn't woken up yet. Although her injuries seem to be healing at an accelerated pace..." he trailed off, speaking more to himself than to Remy.  
  
Remy settled back in his chair, a pensive expression settling over his features. _Nowhere in her files did it say anything about a healing mutation..._ But he kept his thoughts to himself, simply nodding and playing absently with a card he'd produced from his pocket.  
  
Hank noticed the card, but kept his comments to himself, since it didn't seem likely that Remy was planning on blowing anything up. A moment passed, and Hank asked in the friendliest voice he could muster, if Remy could possible do him a favor. When Remy gave assent, he sent the young man to go get him coffee. Even though he had a coffeemaker and brew in the lab, he wanted to get Remy out while he took a look at some of Rogue's other injuries. The young man raised an eyebrow at him, but voiced no complaints as he turned to go. _That should take him a while, if it takes him even half as long to find the kitchen as it took me,_ Hank thought with satisfaction, turning back to his patient.  
  
Remy backtracked to the main first floor hallway, and then allowed the aroma of coffee to lead him the rest of the way. Following the scent to its source, he found the kitchen, complete with a merrily bubbling coffeepot- and Logan.  
  
Logan looked up from his perusal of the newspaper, and fixed Remy with an impassive yet vaguely threatening gaze. To his credit, Remy only hesitated for a moment before entering the room. He could feel Logan's eyes on him as he proceeded directly to the coffeepot, and began rummaging in cupboards for a cup. He'd figured that Dr. McCoy had just been trying to get him out of the lab, so he figured he'd have that coffee and give the man space enough to do his job. After several minutes with no success, he threw caution to the winds and turned to face Logan.  
  
"Homme, y' gon' tell Remy where de cups be, or y' jus' gon' sit dere an' watch?"  
  
Logan gave him a threatening smile and commented lazily "Naw, I think I'm gonna sit right here an' see how long it takes ya, Gumbo."  
  
Remy slammed another cupboard door shut and muttered "well, if dat's how y' gonna be...." Suddenly, he found himself slammed up against the wall, two adamantium claws on either side of his throat and a third slowly extending towards him. "Lemme tell ya how it's gonna be, bub. See, I know Stripes was with ya last weekend- I can smell it. I know ya ain't gonna stay away from her, so lemme give ya some friendly advice. Ya hurt her, an' they'll still be findin' pieces of yer body ten years from now. Got it Gumbo?" He stared intently at the Cajun, not moving a muscle. Surprisingly enough, he smelled no fear- definite unease, but not fear. His estimation of the man rose slightly- not many people could come that close to his claws without fear.  
  
They stood locked in silence for a moment; then, surprisingly, heedless of the claw only inches from his throat, Remy laughed. "Sure homme, whateva' y' say."  
  
With an animalistic snarl, Logan retracted his claws, and Remy didn't even flinch as fine cuts opened up along the sides of his neck. He merely grabbed the cup he'd spied sitting in the dish drainer by the sink, and poured himself a cup of coffee, whistling a merrily annoying tune. Logan sat down at the table again, picking up the paper, and waiting for Remy's reaction to the coffee. It wasn't what he'd expected.  
  
Remy took a sip, and made a face. "Meh! Y' call dis coffee, homme? Somebody need t' give y' lessons- dis be prob'ly de weakest coffee Remy eva' drank." He left the kitchen, Logan's low growl of a laugh following him out.  
  
Logan stared after Remy's retreating figure thoughtfully. He hadn't been lying when he'd threatened to slice and dice the Cajun if he hurt Rogue, but in spite of himself, he could almost get to like the guy.  
  
Returning to the med bay, he took a seat next to Rogue, noticing that Dr. McCoy had moved into his own experimental part of the lab- he must have finished his tests, Remy decided. Hank looked up as Remy came in and sat down, and minutes later he was bustling over with iodine and band aids, noticing the cuts on Remy's neck. "I see you've already managed to get on Logan's bad side," he commented as he dabbed at one of the scratches.  
  
Remy sucked in his breath at the sting of the iodine. When the sensation passed, he smiled in response to Dr. McCoy's statement, and said lightly, "non, we gon' get along jus' fine." Hank just shook his head and finished cleaning the wounds. When Remy refused bandages, he retreated back to his desk and his ever present research.  
  
When he was sure the other man was out of earshot, Remy began speaking to Rogue again. He didn't really know why he talked to her in French- he knew she was studying it in school, but she wasn't fluent by any means- she'd complained about her poor grade in the course when they'd been up on the hill that night, discussing inconsequential things. But it somehow seemed right- some part of him felt that she really could understand him- maybe the little part of him that was inside her head could translate for her or something like that. And it made it easier for him to tell her things, knowing that other people probably didn't understand what he was saying.  
  
He knew she was in there somewhere- the monitor was showing definite brain activity. So he told her what was going on- where she was, and the things that had happened, so that when she woke up, she wouldn't be scared and confused and clueless. Last night, he had told her about his conversation with the Professor, and his thoughts on the man; this morning, he told her about his encounter with Logan and the new nickname he'd managed to acquire from the man. He swallowed the last of the coffee, complaining to her about its poor quality, which somehow turned into a tale about living with the Acolytes, which led into tales from his childhood.  
  
As he spoke to her, he couldn't help but marvel again at how beautiful she was. All the makeup had been washed off her face, and he smiled at the realization that she had a faint dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks- it had always been dark before, or she had been wearing makeup, so he'd never seen them before.  
  
He found himself particularly fascinated with her hands as well- the skin so pale and smooth looking, always protected by her gloves. She had painted her nails a sparkly purple color, and he found himself oddly caught up on that one detail- what did it say about her as a person, that she painted her nails, even thought normally, no one would ever see them?  
  
As he talked to her, she didn't stir; she seemed so small in the bed, dwarfed by the blankets, the force of her personality diminished somewhat in sleep. She looked soft and peaceful; so much of the prickly, hard exterior she assumed while awake melted away from her for him, and he knew he'd never see her the same way again, when she woke up. Despite her cold, snappish façade, she would always be in some part soft and peaceful to him, because he'd seen her this way. He refused to consider the possibility that this was the only way he'd ever see her again.  
  
Remy was unaware of how much time had passed, until he heard a soft throat clearing sound behind him. Turning, he saw the Professor, waiting, behind him, and he said to Rogue ((your Professor wants to talk to you. I promise I'll be back.)) With feline grace, he rose from his chair, inclining his head to Xavier as he passed.  
  
As he stepped out into the hallway, intending to stay and wait for the telepath to finish, he nearly tripped over Kitty, who was seated on the floor reading a book. "Y' jus' gon' camp out here til she wakes up?" He asked her, taking a seat next to her on the floor, and she nodded. "Yeah- there's, like, some stuff I really need to tell her."  
  
Gently, he said "Y' know, y' can still tell her, petite- jus' cause she ain' answerin' don't mean she don' hear y'." But Kitty shook her head. "No, not for this- I really need her to be awake...." Her voice trailed off, and he nodded, understanding the fear underlying her words. "Remy think we all do, petite," her replied.  
  
They sat in an almost comfortable silence for a while, and Kitty went back to reading her book. Remy idly glanced over a the cover, and burst out laughing. Blushing, Kitty snapped "Oh shut up. I am so sick of everybody making fun of me for reading romance novels! I mean, like, at least I know how to read, unlike some people who only play video games all day-" Still laughing, Remy stopped her before she could get going into a full fledged rant. "Non, petite, Ah wasn't laughin' at y'- Remy jus' know de author, dat's all."  
  
She looked disbelieving. "How would you know St. John Allerdyce? He's from, like, Australia!" She pointed at the author bio at the back of the book to emphasize her point. But Remy just laughed again. "Remy think y' know 'im too. De man's always wearin' dat orange coverall, got a crazy laugh, likes t' make animals outta fire.... Remy coulda swore y' met de man before."  
  
She gave him a sour look. "Now you're totally just making fun of me. Evil mutants aren't romance writers!"  
  
"He ain' evil- jus' crazy. Remy be tellin' y' true, petite- when he ain' settin' things on fire or watching dat cartoon channel, he be drinkin' beer and swearin' 'bout how he can't get de characters to cooperate wit' him." He didn't mention Pyro's other favorite activity- discussing his crush on Kitty's teammate.  
  
She finally believed him. "Ohmigod, I fought someone famous! I wonder if he could autograph my books... Oh, wait, I guess not," she trailed off, remembering who the writer was working for. Making a face, she commented sarcastically "Magneto probably won't let him publish any more books- I mean, who has time for writing romance novels when your boss is working towards global domination?" She sighed. "And he's such a good writer, too..."  
  
Remy pulled a face. "Don' know 'bout dat, petite. He be workin' on some new story wit' a coupla mutants in it, an he made Remy read de first coupla chapters when Remy lost a bet to 'im." He made another face, and Kitty laughed. "Rogue'll never let you live it down when she finds out you were reading a romance novel!"  
  
"Who eva' said de femme gon' be findin' out?"  
  
Kitty just smiled an evil little smile and laughed at him. At that moment, Kurt appeared in the hallway, bringing with him the distinct odor of sulfur, and his expression turned sour when he saw Kitty laughing with the Acolyte. Memories of his conversation with Rogue the weekend before came back to him, how she had said that sometimes people just ended up on the wrong side. He didn't want to be judgmental, didn't want to be full of hate for someone he didn't even know- but it was hard to give the man a chance when one of his closest friends was lying unconscious in the med bay with only the Acolyte's version of events to go by for explanation. Conflicted and irritated, he settled down on the floor across from Kitty. As irrational as it was, he grew more irritated at the sight of the book in her hands. _I know they had a fight, but she's reading romance novels and laughing at the Acolyte's jokes- doesn't she even care about Rogue at all?_  
  
Caustically, he commented "Katzchen, vhy do you read those stupid things anyway?" and his mood didn't improve when Kitty and Remy shared a look and laughed again. He was so immersed in his ire that he didn't notice the forced, almost manic quality of Kitty's laughter, or the way Remy's eyes flicked to the med bay doors every few seconds. 


	32. Chapter 32

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 32  
  
Just to let you all know, I know nothing about how the brain works- all I've got are dim recollections from intro to psych, which I took a really long time ago. So hopefully this is all making some sort of sense, but if it doesn't, let me know and I'll try to explain it out better. Honestly, I really don't even know where this chapter came from- maybe my subconscious stepped in and wrote it for me, I don't know.  
  
After the doors slid shut behind Remy, Charles asked "Still no change in her condition, Hank?" The other man came to stand beside him, replying in the negative. "No, but there has been steady brain activity since she was brought in last night. The strange part is, her brain waves show patterns similar to REM sleep, which is when people who are asleep usually dream. Normally, REM sleep only lasts for a short period of time, maybe a half hour at the longest, but she has been showing these brain waves for the past twelve hours. It's almost like she's been continually dreaming for the last twelve hours." The lines of worry etched onto the Professor's face deepened. "And how are her injuries?"  
  
"That's the other thing, Charles- her injuries are healing at an incredibly accelerated pace. The swelling is considerably reduced around her ankle, and the x-rays I took a few hours ago show much smaller cracks in her ribs than when she first was brought in. All of the small cuts and bruises are gone. But Rogue doesn't possess a healing factor."  
  
The Professor's face became even more grave. "No, but in her time here, she has come into contact with several people who do possess one. The interesting question is, how is she making use of their powers when she hasn't touched any of them for quite some time?"  
  
"Advantages of telepathy, my friend- you can actually go inside her mind and find out. I'll leave you to it." Stepping back, he took a seat behind the Professor, in order to monitor Rogue's brain waves. If the patterns changed, or her condition changed, he would touch Xavier to pull him out of his psychic trance.  
  
With practiced ease, Charles cleared his mind, blanking out all external stimuli. With a precise mental *twist* his telepathic self was inside Rogue's mind. He found himself floating inside a large, bare white room, looking down on the small, child- sized figure of a girl, lying in a bed. The little girl rolled over, and Charles caught a glimpse of white streaked auburn hair, and pale arms clutching a tattered teddy bear. She didn't stir again, and his attention was drawn to the scenes playing out across the walls, like images from an old fashioned movie projector.  
  
Different pictures flashed across the walls, images overlaying the others like double exposed film- a young boy with demon eyes chasing two other boys across beautifully manicured lawns; a pretty, short haired blonde woman staring into a mirror as her face slowly transformed into Mystique's; Kitty falling through a locker door and right on top of Lance Alvers; a yellow eyed, blue furred toddler running into a small cottage on all fours, covered in snow..... The images kept coming in a steady stream, and Charles realized he was seeing Rogue's dreams- deeply trapped in sleep, she dreamed the memories of others.  
  
Suddenly, Charles felt himself being pulled from the 'room,' and he found himself passing quickly through a long, door-filled corridor that bore more than a passing resemblance to parts of his home. Others were moving along through the hallway as well, going in and out of doors, stopping to talk to each other, or intent upon their own unfathomable business. As he flew by, he realized that he must be staring at the physical manifestations of the people Rogue had touched, given form inside her mind. In the space of a heartbeat, he saw Sabretooth and Mystique waltzing across the hallway, Kitty running through a door, and himself, being pushed along in his chair by an unfamiliar freckled boy who was speaking with a definite Mississippi twang.  
  
The hallway seemed to go on without end, and he was flying through it, being pulled faster and faster until everything around him was a blur. The pathways of Rogue's mind branched and turned, and almost before he realized it, Charles came to a stop in midair, hanging in another cavernous 'room,' this one a direct contrast to the first. The room seemed to stretch on into forever- the walls, floor, and ceiling were dark as the night sky, and little starlights twinkled softly at him from all directions. More people were coming and going here as well, but it was quieter here, peaceful compared to the hustle and bustle of the long corridor outside.  
  
A sudden soft voice spoke from behind him. "Ah lahke the night; it's mah favorite time." Charles felt his telepathic body being turned and lowered to stand on the ground, and he saw Rogue walking towards him across the star- spangled expanse of her innermost mind. "It's finally all organized- all pretty an' makin' sense," she said as she got closer, and Charles frowned- there was something strange in her voice, completely unlike Rogue's normal mental voice. She finally was standing before him, dressed in the same clothes she had worn to go to the concert, but there was something wrong with her eyes- instead of the usual, familiar green irises sparkling with attitude, her eyes were white and blank- blind. The manifestation before him spoke again, voice dreamy and unfocused. "Ah can see 'em all, ya know- all their memories, everythin'. Ah can make all the powers work, but she din' use ta let me."  
  
"She?" Charles questioned, beginning to understand who- or what- he was conversing with.  
  
The Rogue spirit nodded. "She don't sleep right, blocks me out an' shuts me down." She paused, and in the same dreamy voice, but with frightening intensity, said "Ah'm her, an' she's me; but Ah'm still me, and she's being everybody else cause she won' let me do mah job." The spirit pushed a strand of white hair out of her eyes, the way Rogue always did when she was thinking about something, and Charles felt himself oddly disquieted by the gesture. Looking closer, he saw that he spirit Rogue was wearing gloves and stood fidgeting in booted feet. His sense of disquiet intensified.  
  
"You're her subconscious mind." He stated quietly, and the Rogue spirit nodded. "We used ta work together, used ta not even be different at all. She thought an' saw an' did, an' Ah filed an' cleaned an' organized it all in her head. But then she touched somebody one day, an' that boy was in her head, an' she freaked out, built a little wall an' tossed me behind it. So they all ran free in her head, no order, all chaotic..." The Rogue spirit gestured outwards with her hands, and Charles understood that she meant all the psyches Rogue had absorbed had gone amok inside her mind, right from the beginning. The spirit continued with "She don' sleep, she don' dream, an' all the memories jus' get stuck in her head. An' she forced herself ta forget how ta use their powers after a little bit. But Ah know how. Sometimes, when she's real weak, Ah can break out a bit, start doin' what needs doin'- give her a coupla dreams ta get the memories outta the way. But then she knows, an' she pushes me back, 'til last night."  
  
Charles looked around, noticing the quiet inside Rogue's mind. All the psyches had stopped milling about, and were gathered in a circle around the two of them, listening intently and watching in silence. "It was you last night, wasn't it? You unlocked all the powers, trying to save her- you used anyone, whoever's powers could save you both at the time." His sense of disquiet had slipped away, to be replaced with something like awe, and he found himself oddly fascinated by this encounter. He had never before come across a subconscious mind with such a defined sense of self identity.  
  
The subconscious spirit nodded again. "Ah saw what happened- sometimes Ah can see what's goin' on, when she ain' concentratin' on me. Everybody ran inta her, an' then she jus' dropped everythin', an' then she let me out. She'd been breakin' fer a while, an' it wasn't the first time Ah was pushin' at that wall, but this time it jus' fell down. An Ah did what Ah had ta do, ta save us, jus' lahke Ah'm doin' now."  
  
"Let me help you. Let her wake up, and then I can help both of you." Charles pleaded, but the subconscious shook her head. "No, it has ta be this way. Ah have ta get 'em all put where they belong- Ah have ta organize us the right way. We'll wake up when Ah'm done, Professah. Ya shouldn' be heah anymore- Ah got too much ta do." Rogue's subconscious turned away from him, and the voices of the psyches gathered around them whispered in a sibilant hiss "you don't belong here." With sudden violent force, the Professor felt himself being propelled backwards through the corridors of Rogue's mind, passing again through the endless hallway of doors, and through the white room with the still sleeping child Rogue. With a jolt, he found himself back inside his own mind, and he opened his eyes to find Hank staring down at him, worry intense upon his features. "Charles, what happened? You were inside her mind for four hours!"  
  
"She's in there, Hank- but I've never seen such a defined split between the conscious and unconscious halves of the mind." He gave a short synopsis of his conversation with Rogue's subconscious mind, and when he finished, Hank said "so, it's possible she could conceivably use all the powers of everyone she's ever touched?" There was a mixture of awe and fear in Henry's voice- imagining a teenager with that much power was sobering.  
  
Charles nodded. "Yes, I do believe so. When she is well, we will begin a new regimen of special training for her, to help her control her new abilities. I even harbor some hope that with both parts of her mind working together again, she could learn to control her original abilities as well."  
  
"Ah, yes- but here's the million dollar question- when will she wake up?"  
  
"That's just it, Hank- we still don't know. There are months of memories and power absorptions to integrate- there's no way to tell."  
  
Hank nodded sadly- he'd been hoping for better news. "Let's go tell the students- they've gathered outside in the hall over the past few hours, waiting for news." Xavier agreed, understanding the unspoken thought- Hank hadn't wanted to tell them anything, because there hadn't been anything to tell them. With a last look at Rogue's sleeping form, the two men went out into the hallway to tell the students what Charles had learned. 


	33. Chapter 33

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 33  
  
Yeah, I know it's been taking me forever to update this thing... I think Ish fed a plotbunny some crack and sent it over to bite me in the butt to get me motivated to work on this- but instead, I got an idea for another story, so I had to write that, and then I couldn't make this chapter work out right.. And I'm guessing no one likes Kitty and Lance, cuz no one read my other story.... Hint hint! Go read it, it's called 'Got Me Wrong,' you'll like it! And you'll make me happy! And happy writers write faster! Er- yeah, something like that.  
  
Oh yeah, and a note to my anonymous reviewer- you know who you are: I'm sorry you don't like the idea of a Rogue with superpowers, like she is in the comics. But, before you write off my story entirely, keep this in mind. Rogue's never met Carol Danvers in this universe; therefore, she's not invulnerable, nor can she fly, or use super strength or any of Carol's other talents. The Professor stated that he thinks that Rogue may be able to be trained to use her new abilities (i.e. the ability to use the powers of those she's previously touched) and he thinks that she might be able to control her original mutation too. But, nothing's for certain, and the story isn't done yet. Think about it this way- if she's magically cured, where would I get the angst from? And I like writing angst for Rogue. So, don't give up hope yet, kay?  
  
The Professor and Dr. McCoy left the med lab, and wandered out into a scene of chaos. Several Jamies were scattered across the hallway, along with what had once been a plate of sandwiches. Bobby was standing between Ray and Roberto, trying unsuccessfully to diffuse the ever-present tension between the two. Jean and Scott seemed to be engaged in a mental shouting match through their shared mindlink; from the expression on Jean's face, it seemed she was winning. Meanwhile, Kitty and Amara were obliviously carrying on a deep discussion about a particular romance novelist, while Kurt was muttering unpleasant things in German and staring fixedly at Remy, an oasis of calm, who was sitting on the floor absorbed in a game of solitaire. looking farther up into the hall, the Professor caught sight of Logan and Ororo, staying well back from the fray, engaged in a conversation of their own. Logan, feeling eyes upon him, looked up from his discussion, and gave an ear piercing whistle, cutting through the noise and immediately silencing the students. Heads turned eagerly towards the Professor, looks of expectancy on all faces.  
  
Holding up a hand to forestall questions, Charles stated succinctly "Rogue has not woken yet. However, I was able to gain access to her mind, and she is fine." He paused for a moment, deciding how much to tell of the processes going on inside her mind. "She seems to be working on healing from the trauma she has experienced." He went on to explain, in a simplified fashion, that Rogue's mental breakdown had occurred because her head was too full of the memories and personalities she had absorbed. "When several people touched her at the same time during the concert, there were too many memories and personalities all at once for her to deal with, and her mind couldn't handle the strain."  
  
"So her mind just.. short circuited," Bobby commented, serious for once, and the Professor nodded at the analogy. Then Scott spoke up, his argument with Jean apparently concluded. "Is it going to happen again?"  
  
Though he was by no means certain it wouldn't, Charles said "no," with a finality that signaled the end of discussion over that particular question. He was straddling the fine line between telling the students what they needed to know, and respecting Rogue's right to privacy, and discussing the origin of her mental trauma- dating back to the first eruption of her powers- was definitely something that would violate her privacy. Scott nodded, knowing the Professor well enough to know when to not pursue the matter, and asked "why hasn't she woken up yet, if she's healing?"  
  
"She will wake, Scott, have patience. But her continued sleep is part of the process- the mind integrates memories during sleep, through dreams. These dreams are essential for her to be able to fully heal. I believe it will be at least another day until she is conscious again." Though he had no basis for that assessment, he wanted to give them a feeling of hope; telling them he truly had no idea when she would wake up was not going to do that.  
  
There was silence for a moment, while the students digested that piece of information. Kitty looked over at Remy for a moment, uncertainty in her eyes; hesitantly, she asked "Professor, if we, like, talked to her- can she hear us?"  
  
The Professor nodded thoughtfully. "There is no reason to believe not, Kitty. Rogue is not in a coma, just sleeping very deeply; we all hear what goes on around us, to a limited degree, while we sleep, so if someone were to speak to her, she should be able to hear it. She may not remember when she wakes up, but she would hear you." Kitty nodded, a look of resolve settling on her features.  
  
He was surprised to hear Jean speak up next. "Professor, isn't there anything we can do to help her, to speed up the process more or something?" He understood the reasoning behind her question- her failure to help Rogue the night before was gnawing away at her. Sadly, he shook his head. "No, Jean- she will not allow any more outside intrusion into her mind." He left unspoken the unpleasant thought of how he had been kicked out of Rogue's mind just minutes before.  
  
They had all begun to talk amongst themselves at this point, but the Professor held up his hand for silence again. "She will come back to us, and she will still have to deal with the emotional trauma of last night's events. That will not heal as easily as her physical wounds, I fear. Anyone who wishes to visit Rogue or speak to her may do so; the med lab will be open to everyone." He saw several sets of eyes flicker towards Remy; Scott turned his head towards the former Acolyte, his look saying he held the other personally responsible for Rogue's situation.  
  
As some of the students began to leave the hallway, either unwilling or unable to deal with seeing Rogue at the present time, Scott's look remained unchanged. Remy looked back at him impassively, expression neutral, and Charles sighed, sharing a look with Hank, standing behind his chair. Hank just shook his head and switched on the monitoring beeper, moving past Charles to catch up with Logan and Ororo, who were shepherding the students back upstairs to have lunch, since the plate of sandwiches had met with its unfortunate demise.  
  
As the flood of students moved past, Scott and Jean remained in place, waiting, as did Kurt, and of course Remy. Kitty hesitated for a moment, looking torn, but then she turned and followed Amara to the elevator, ponytail swinging listlessly, shoulders hunched. Anger flickered in the depths of Kurt's amber eyes as he'd watched her leave, but then he shrugged once and it died. He'd thought she'd cared, when she'd asked her question, but evidently he'd been wrong. Scott was the first to break the staring contest, following Jean into the med lab, and Kurt was right behind him, leaving Remy alone in the hall with the Professor.  
  
They looked at each other for a minute, and the Professor raised an eyebrow and invited Remy to join the others for lunch upstairs. When the Cajun shot a look back at the med lab, Charles said gently "she will not wake today, Remy." Accepting the words, Remy nodded, and moved around to push Xavier's chair to the elevator. Though he knew the man could manage it just fine, he intended the gesture to be a mark of respect. Despite Magneto's descriptions of Xavier as being weak and ineffective, he had expected someone controlling and forceful, with an ironclad will. In short, he had expected Xavier to be more like Magneto, figuring that their friendship had come from sharing common personalities, though their ideals clashed. But, as he'd mentioned to Rogue the night before, after his first conversation with the man, the Professor had defied his expectations. Instead of an ineffectual and weak dreamer, or a domineering control freak, Xavier had a strong patriarchal presence, much like his former adoptive father Jean-Luc, Guild Father of the Thieves. Remy figured that if he treated Xavier with the same respect given to elders within the Guild, he couldn't go wrong.  
  
As they rode the elevator in silence, the Professor's thoughts turned towards the brewing conflict between Scott and Remy. With worry pervading the house and tempers already beginning to fray, the matter could not be allowed to escalate- Remy's position was fragile enough, without being turned into a scapegoat by the team leader of the X-Men. Though he hadn't probed deeply into Remy's mind during their conversation the night before- the young man possessed impressive mental shields- he'd been able to catch enough surface thoughts to know that Remy had left Magneto with the intent of seeking a place here. And it didn't take genius level intellect to realize that Magneto would be none too pleased by that.  
  
Despite Scott's opinion about him, Charles believed that Remy would make a valuable addition to the team. His knowledge of Magneto's organization would make him a useful ally, and from what he'd heard of the Sentinel battle, his fighting ability would be a bonus indeed. After their first conversation, he had decided to offer Remy a place among the X-Men; after lunch, he would broach the subject. _And then Logan can take them both to the Danger Room and beat the conflict out of them,_ he thought mirthlessly. If it had worked- somewhat- with Ray and Roberto, it would work with anyone.  
  
Back in the med lab, Scott and Jean stood before Rogue's bed, hands entwined. Anger shaped the contours of Scott's face- anger at the Acolyte because Scott wanted someone to blame for this whole mess; anger at Mystique for wreaking more havoc on their lives; and finally, anger at himself. It didn't matter that she was healing, and it didn't matter that she would eventually forgive him- what mattered was that he had attacked her in the first place. She was his teammate, his friend- part of his family, even. And he hadn't even wondered where she was, hadn't stopped to look for her- he'd just attacked with abandon. All he could manage was "we didn't know, Rogue- we didn't know it was you," before dropping Jean's hand and walking out. She stared after him for a moment, then turned back to Rogue. She spoke quickly, adding a touch of telepathic force to her words.  
  
"Look, I know I'm probably the last person you want to hear right now, or ever." Jean paused, the old hurt resurfacing on her face. It didn't take telepathy to figure out that Rogue had didn't like her, had never liked her. And even with her mind reading powers, Jean had never been able to figure out why. Shaking her head and taking a deep breath, she continued. "But I have to say this. Rogue- I was only trying to help you. I never meant to hurt you. None of us did." Staring down at the unconscious girl, she whispered "I-I'm sorry." Her footsteps clicked on the tile floor as she, too, left the room.  
  
The whole time, Kurt had been perched in a chair at the foot of the bed, oblivious. Over and over he repeated prayers, whispering hoarsely in German, pleading for God to heal the hurt his mother had done to her. One of the lights overhead began to flicker, and he stayed there, tail hanging disconsolately, voice echoing lost and broken in the silence of the room. 


	34. Chapter 34

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
Chapter 34  
  
Ya'll get responses... And a big fat apology for this taking so long to reach your computers.  
  
lixa- back to what I said before, of course Rogue would have some weaknesses- she never became invincible cause she never absorbed Ms. Marvel; I always thought she probably would have been weakened by using everyone's powers in the comics, except that she has the invincibility thing going. So, she can still be a one woman army- but at a price...  
  
Ish- this plot bunny wasn't defective. Huzzah! And another huzzah to long and rambling reviews, they make me feel all warm and fuzzy, so keep it coming! And yeah, a DR session is coming up soon, but I have so much trouble writing fight scenes, so I hope it comes out okay.  
  
Cookies go to Rogue Warrior Spirit and Gothic Cajun for being the first reviewers for the last chapter- I posted it at maybe 8:30, and when I came back to the computer at 11, they'd already reviewed. Way to be on the ball!  
  
And Blink182dbzluvr, Ellavira, lady kaori, RoguesHeart, Danielle Wynn kidmol and everyone else- a great big thank you.  
  
Hell, everybody gets cookies. Yummy chocolate chip cookies baked by someone other than me, cause I can't bake or cook worth a damn. (Yeah, I am so like Kitty it sometimes scares me....)  
  
And before I forget, there is still a disclaimer around here somewhere, cause I still don't own anything. But I think it's worshipping the porcelain god, cause it was dumb enough to try Kitty's cooking, he he he....  
  
After a rather tense lunch, Remy was closeted with the adults for quite some time. The late afternoon announcement of Remy's addition to the team didn't really surprise anyone, and it was met with rather predictable results by most parties.  
  
As expected, Scott stormed out to the garage, keys in hand, announcing loudly that he was "going for a ride." He didn't return until very late that evening.  
  
Kurt shot the Professor a rather disgusted look, and ported out of the room, the smell of sulfur left behind a reminder of his discontent. He remained on the roof, coming down only to get the cordless phone when Amanda called at seven thirty.  
  
Bobby was heard to comment "Well, there goes my spot on the team," to no one in particular, to which Ray responded "Yeah, well, you sucked anyway, Ice cube."  
  
"Iceman! It's Iceman!" Bobby protested, as usual.  
  
Jamie commented in a quietly bitter tone, "he gets to go in the Danger Room."  
  
Roberto and Sam were quietly polite, while Amara edged towards shy friendliness. Jean gave him an encouraging smile, instead of the hostility he'd expected, and the adults had voiced no protests, at least where he could hear them.  
  
Out of everyone, Kitty was the only truly friendly one. In a bantering tone, she commented "Glad you left the dark side." Giving Logan a sly look, she stated "Guess you'll have to reprogram the sims, Mr. Logan."  
  
He shot her a toothy grin. "Forgot 'bout that. Guess who just volunteered to help me, Half-Pint?" At Kitty's groan, his smile widened.  
  
"Me and my big mouth," she muttered, rolling her eyes as she passed by Remy on her way out the door. As she stepped directly next to his chair, she wrinkled her face in distaste. "Ugh, your clothes are gross!" She stepped away quickly, suddenly having an inkling of what it must be like to be Logan, with his super senses.  
  
Remy shrugged helplessly. "Don' got much of a choice, petite. All Remy's clothes be on de back of de bike."  
  
Thoughtlessly, Kitty replied "well, duh, why don't you go get your bike?"  
  
Remy just stared at her like she'd grown another head, and she belatedly remembered that Magneto's crew would probably be looking for him. "Oh, yeah. Oops." She commented stupidly, flushing.  
  
The Professor spoke up then, saving Kitty from further embarrassment. "Logan can go pick it up for you when he and Kitty finish with the computer in the Danger Room." It was spoken like an order, and though Remy wasn't entirely pleased by the idea of Logan riding his bike, there wasn't any help for it. He told the man where he'd left it, and Logan nodded, abruptly striding out, Kitty in tow.  
  
Remy followed them out, intending to explore the mansion a bit, and overheard the Professor's comment to Ororo and Hank.  
  
"We'll have to see bout getting him some uniforms."  
  
Remy scowled. He wasn't much for uniforms and conformity; but someone else was running the show now, and he had chosen to join up of his own free will.  
  
Remy drifted around the mansion for several hours, fixing the maze of halls and corridors firmly in his mind. Back on the ground floor, wandering aimlessly, he came across a set of beautifully carved wooden doors. Curious, as he'd not noticed them before, even though he'd passed through the hallway countless times, he gently pushed down on the latch of the left hand door, and slipped inside. Closing the door quietly behind, his eyes scanned his surroundings, and a smile flitted across his face. _Figures a guy like the Professor would have a library around here somewhere._ Taking in the floor to ceiling oak shelves, overstuffed leather chairs, and deeply plush carpeting, he felt a sudden pang of longing for home.  
  
The library in the Guild house had been one of his favorite places. Located on the top floor of the east wing, it was an enormous room full of nooks and crannies that were perfect for hiding in. The eastern wall had been dominated by intricate stained glass windows that caught the morning sunlight and turned the floor into a multi-colored mosaic. As a little boy, he'd loved sitting in the ancient leather chairs, listening to his father Jean-Luc read aloud from the histories of the Guild; often, he would fall asleep there, in the midst of a story, and dream of great epic heists and the swashbuckling adventures of the ancestors.  
  
When he grew older, he'd had his lessons there, along with Henri and Etienne and the other children of those privileged enough to live in the main Guild house. It had been a varied and comprehensive education, encompassing everything from basic mathematics, Guild history and the classics, to sleight of hand techniques and tips for recognizing forged artworks. They had learned combat techniques and the art of moving quietly in any situation, as well as a myriad of other things too numerous to count. Everything he and the others had learned had been necessary and useful, designed to prepare them for their adult roles within the organization; even now that he had been cast out of the Guild, Remy firmly believed that he'd received a far better education at the hands of thieves than Rogue would ever get from her high school.  
  
Pushing the nostalgia away, he moved further into the room, wandering the length of the wall and examining the titles on the shelves. Texts on advanced genetic theories and quantum physics rested side by side with dog eared paperback novels; on another shelf, several books of 18th century poetry sat smack in the middle of a row of romance novels. Looking closely, he identified most of them as being St. John's works, and he couldn't repress a snort. He couldn't for the life of him understand why girls read them- the plot lines were so thin they were practically nonexistent! After being forced to read more of his former teammate's writing than he had wanted to admit to Kitty, he was sure he'd figured out the basic romance pattern: boy meets girl, boy has to save girl from something horrible, and some big secret gets revealed that screws everything up, but then they fall in love end everyone lives happily ever after. _Who comes up with these things? The whole mess is so unrealistic- things like that never happen in real life to anyone._ Snorting again, he moved away from the offensive books, continuing his perusal of the shelves.  
  
He moved into a second room, this one smaller and full of more shelves, containing what appeared to be reference books. This room had straight backed chairs and several lighted library tables, and he surmised that this must be where they studied. Meandering up an aisle, not paying any attention to what was ahead of him, he ran smack into Jean.  
  
As she bounced against him, the book she'd been carrying flew from her grasp and landed on the floor. Jean quickly levitated it back into her grasp, but not before Remy caught sight of the title: "Theoretical Principles of Telepathy."  
  
"Remy! I didn't realize-" Jean's voice faltered at the look in Remy's eyes.  
  
Ignoring her attempts at conversation, he said caustically "stay outta Rogue's head." Unconsciously, his posture had grown defensive.  
  
Jean blinked, confused; then she realized he'd seen the book, and she understood what he'd meant by his words. Quietly, with a trace of bitterness, she said "I wouldn't; Rogue already dislikes me enough as it is." She brushed past him, irritated by his assumption, and flopped down onto one of the leather seats in the other room. Flipping through the table of contents, she schooled her thoughts to calmness, willing herself to forget his words and the accompanying rush of emotions that had gone along with them, not wanting to be any more upset than she already was. As her mind returned to a calm state, the lamp on the table behind her stopped shaking.  
  
Remy followed her back out, seating himself with grace in the chair across from her. "Remy be sorry," he began, not wanting to make another enemy here, but she cut him off with a wave of her hand.  
  
"It's okay. Nobody ever really trusts a telepath," she stated with resignation. "This isn't for Rogue- it's for me."  
  
Reading upside down, he saw she'd turned to a chapter entitled "The Basics of Mind Links." Raising an eyebrow, he asked "who y' be mind linked wit'?"  
  
Irritation written across her features, she said "Scott." She sighed and commented tiredly "He's been ranting for hours inside his head, and it's giving me a headache! And since I don't know how we even got linked up in the first place, I have no idea how to block him out."  
  
Remy gave her a fleeting smile, not needing to ask about the subject of Scott's ranting. Rising from the chair, he said "well den, Remy leave y' to it." He began to head for the door, but Jean called after him.  
  
"Remy- don't, umm, tell anyone, okay?" She looked almost ashamed.  
  
Though he wasn't sure exactly why she didn't want anyone to know, he acquiesced to her wish. Leaving the library, he had a sudden urge to go back down to the infirmary and complain to Rogue about the strangeness of her housemates. 


	35. Chapter 35

My Heart in Your Hands  
  
by Princess of Monkeys  
  
I had fun writing this scene, once I got over the writer's block about it! I've never been much for writing fight scenes, but this one just sort of came to life in my head, while I was sitting in my little cubicle today. Oh yeah, way to be productive!  
  
Oh yeah, and shameless plugging- go read Ishandahalf's story, "February Fifteenth." It rocks! Hurray, more Romy goodness in the world.  
  
Chapter 35  
  
When Kitty entered the med lab the next morning, after failing to find Remy in his room, she saw him asleep, head down on the edge of Rogue's bed. She smiled, appreciating the romance of the situation, but when she looked at the clock, her mood sobered- only fifteen minutes until the Danger Room session was scheduled to start.  
  
"Remy," she called, and he woke, jumping up out of the chair in surprise. As she watched, he took a step forward to steady himself; unfortunately, his foot tangled in the straps of his duffel bag, left by the bed the night before. All the grace in the world couldn't save him, and he went down in a tangled pile of limbs, straps and chair.  
  
Kitty's sides hurt from laughing so hard. As he climbed to his feet, dusting himself off, she managed to choke out "I hope you do better than that in the Danger Room!"  
  
Shooting her a dirty look for her laughter, he said confusedly "Danger Room?"  
  
She nodded, still snickering. "Yeah, in like, only fifteen minutes. We train at six every day, usually."  
  
His look was classic. "Six in de mornin'? Remy neva' knew dey had one 'a dose!"  
  
Kitty rolled her eyes. "Whatever. C'mon, I guess you'll have to wear your old Acolyte costume or something, until they get you a uniform. I'll be out in the hall." She phased through the glass doors, turning her back so she wouldn't see him changing clothes.  
  
Remy just shrugged, digging through his bag for his working blacks, his last remnant of his life as a thief. He figured that's what Kitty had meant, since that was what he had worn for missions with Magneto's crew.  
  
Minutes later he joined her in the hall, pulling on his trademark brown trench coat as they walked to the elevator. Kitty eyed him critically as they walked, commenting "you're wearing that? Won't it, like, get in the way?" When he just shook his head with a cryptic little smile, she rolled her eyes and sighed.  
  
They made it to the Danger Room with time to spare, and Remy could hardly miss the looks the others gave him as he sauntered in behind Kitty. Although they had begun to accept the fact that he would be staying at the mansion, nobody had really thought about the fact that he would be training with them as well.  
  
As they joined the rest of the students, Remy looked around, wondering what they were supposed to be doing. The room stretched high above him, the ceiling domed, the walls an unending stretch of metal plates. Save for himself and the others, it appeared to be empty. High abo0ve their heads, at the top of the dome, he could just make out the Professor and the little kid, Jamie, in a glass walled booth.  
  
As Wolverine and Storm stepped to the front of the group, the room seemed to shimmer behind them; before his eyes, the silver walls were replaced with a panoramic mountain view. Remy blinked, surprised despite himself, and next to him, Kitty whispered "holograms. It gets everyone the first time." Her voice was tinged with amusement.  
  
Wolverine shot her a look, and she blushed, subsiding into silence as he began to speak. "Alright kids, listen up. Today yer gonna be workin' on both teamwork and individual fightin'. Team part's the obstacle course- stay together, nobody gets left behind unless they get hit in a vital area. Second part's the fun part- whoever grabs the flag first is the winner. Winner gets to skip out on chores for the day- includin' cleanin' up in here when we're done." There were gasps and surprised comments- skipping out on chores had never been a prize before.  
  
Wolverine smiled an unpleasant smile. "An' anyone who doesn't make it out of the obstacle course gets special trainin' with me, bright an' early for the next week." The chorus of groans was expected, and only served to make Wolverine's smile wider.  
  
Storm stepped forward, a list in her hand, and stated in her calm, regal voice "team A will be Magma, Nightcrawler, Cannonball, Shadowcat, and Gambit. Team B consists of Iceman, Cyclops, Sunspot, Jean, and Berzerker."  
  
As the students split into their respective teams, with much murmured commentary about how those teams had been chosen, Wolverine spoke up with some final comments. "One last thing. See the gap?" He pointed to the deep chasm between the two courses, and there were nods and murmurs of assent. "Anyone tryin' to go over it to harass the other team is automatically out. There's plenty of time for fightin' each other at the end." He shot Iceman a look at that comment, since he would be the one most likely to try that strategy. The teenager blushed, proving that he had been contemplating the idea.  
  
When they had all assembled in the proper places, his roar of "Get goin' already!" Was the signal to start.  
  
Shadowcat, Gambit and the others leaned in for a quick strategy session before making the first move; Gambit could see that the other team was doing the same. Nightcrawler took the leadership position, issuing commands and comments in a clipped, brisk voice.  
  
"Shadowcat, Magma, Cannonball- stay together. I'll be scouting up ahead; you," with a jerk of the hand towards Gambit, "take point." He vanished in a puff of foul smelling smoke, and Gambit shrugged, extending his bo staff and carefully stepping forward. Behind him, the others followed in silence, taking his example.  
  
Using his staff to test the rocky, uneven ground, he stepped carefully, with the innate grace of his years of stealth training. At the back, Kitty had become intangible, and was moving through the stubby grass like a ghost, making no sound, leaving no trail. They made quick progress, until they came to an outcropping of rock, close against a copse of trees. A slight rustling noise signaled Nightcrawler's return, and he spoke in a hushed voice.  
  
"three ground units up ahead, behind those boulders," he said, pointing to a grouping of large boulders about 500 feet away, "and several air units headed this way. Kitty and I vill deal vith the ground units- catch up to us at the rocks." Grabbing hold of Kitty's hand, the two were gone, and Gambit turned to Magma.  
  
"What exactly we gon' be fightin'?"  
  
She blushed slightly when he spoke to her, but answered calmly enough. "They're paintball machines. If you get hit, it's like you got shot or something. It really sucks," she added as an afterthought, knowing from way too much personal experience.  
  
Gambit grinned at her, nodding his head, and said "a'right den, here's what we gonna do. Remy an y' gon' get rid of 'em, and Cannonball, y' jus' stay put."  
  
Cannonball frowned at this- he didn't exactly consider himself to need protection. But then again, he didn't have projectile powers, and he always got tagged out when he tried to fly away from them, so maybe the guy had a decent strategy after all.  
  
A sudden whirring noise announced the arrival of the flying droids, and Magma flared up immediately, while Gambit charged his cards and threw them with cool precision. There were three droids, and Gambit took out two, while Magma managed to roast the third. Hearing the sounds of fried machinery, they ran to join their teammates.  
  
Continuing along the course, they made good time, managing to avoid losing anyone along the way. Partway up a grueling stretch of exposed mountainside, they were caught in a sudden downpour, and Gambit looked up, unsurprised to see Storm calling down the wrath of the heavens upon them. Within minutes the group was soaked to the bone, all except for Kitty of course, who merely returned to intangibility and phased through the raindrops with a faint smile upon her face.  
  
"Show off," Magma muttered under her breath, before finally giving into the temptation and flaring up. They continued in silence, save for the constant sizzling of raindrops as they came into contact with Magma's fire form.  
  
A sudden splat of colored paint on the rock face closest to Cannonball was all the warning they had of the ambush- somehow, without their noticing, they had become surrounded by the paintball robots. Magma and Gambit took to firing at the air units, while Shadowcat took off running at the first of the visible ones on the ground. Ninghtcrawler ported out, returning some moments later to tell Cannonball that the robots were pouring out of a nearby cave, and Cannonball took to the air, performing one of his trademark nosedives, burying the mouth of the cave in rubble. While Gambit and Magma continued to fire at the remaining robots, Shadowcat phased through the rocks and made sure none of the robots trapped inside would be able to come after them.  
  
Cannonball, Nightcrawler and Shadowcat were standing by the blocked off cave when Magma and Gambit came to join them. "Well, dat be fun, non?" Gambit commented as he sauntered up, looking none the worse for wear. Nightcrawler grimaced but said nothing, while the rest of them laughed.  
  
They continued on, with Nighcrawler taking recon again, the rest in the usual formation, and managed to avoid any serious mishaps for approximately another five minutes. At that point, they came to a deep crevasse in the rock face; even though it was all holographic, Gambit had no doubt that there would be a painful landing for anyone who fell from the top of the cliff.  
  
Without waiting to consult with anyone, Nightcrawler took Shadowcat and ported out. Cannonball looked at Gambit and Magma, helpless. "Ah can only fly one other person." he trailed off, but Gambit just smiled.  
  
"Take her wit' y'- I get across m' own way."  
  
Cannonball shrugged, as if to say 'it's your funeral,' but without protest, he picked up Magma, and flew across with ease, managing to even land without too much of a fuss.  
  
"Clear de edge!" Gambit called as he backed up, and when he'd gotten far enough back, he took off running, hoping he hadn't misjudged the distance after all. As he reached the edge, he pushed off, using his staff for extra support. To the awe and amazement of the others, he made it with room to spare. "It jus' be like jumpin' rooftops back home," he said as an explanation, with an easy smile.  
  
They continued, managing to avoid rockslides, falling off cliffs, and a fair assortment of other dangers. Coming down from a small hill, the group saw a rock formation up ahead, and Nightcrawler ported up to it, returning seconds later to report "it's a clearing up ahead- with the flag."  
  
They all looked at each other for a few seconds, remembering Wolverine's description- only one person could win. With a shout of triumph, Nightcrawler ported, only to reappear a second later up by the rocks, unable to go any further. The others followed, running like mad to catch up. Nobody noticed that Remy had quietly slipped away, even before Nightcrawler's original report. Slipping around other rocks, in and amongst the trees, he smiled to himself. _Just another thing to steal,_ he thought with a silent chuckle.  
  
Meanwhile, the rest of the team had caught up to the rocks, and surveyed the scene before them with dismay. Nightcrawler had taken to the trees, attempting to avoid the main part of the clearing, where the battle was already in progress. Sheets of ice were being flung from behind another jumble of boulders across the clearing, where Iceman had taken up a defensive position and was attempting to eliminate the competition, one by one. The rain had stopped, but there was still sufficient moisture in the air to give him additional fuel for his powers, and he was having a grand old time of it, whooping it up as he iced everything in the vicinity.  
  
He'd managed to catch Sunspot already, and since there was no available sunlight, the other boy was unable to use his powers to break free. He had to settle for melting the old fashioned way.  
  
Iceman had gotten Cyclops too, but the field leader was busy working to free himself with small, controlled bursts from his visor. Jean was shielding herself from Iceman's blasts, but she was unable to attack anyone else, since all her energy was going into shielding. Berzerker was encased in ice as well, but he was randomly throwing out bolts of electricity, trying to use the ice as a conductor to get the others; even though he was seemingly out of the running for the flag, he wouldn't mind taking a few others down with him.  
  
Shadowcat calmly begins walking across the clearing, phasing through everything, and trying to stay out of Jean's line of sight- the telepath's powers would be able to prevent her from moving, even if she was in a phased state. Cannonball took to the air, after backing up to give himself a running start; at the same time, Magma took a cautious step out into the clearing, and immediately slipped on a sheet of ice. Seeing a new target, Iceman sent a wave of ice at her, and seconds later, she was stuck in an ice cocoon, fuming. She flared up into her fire form, quickly melting the ice around her into a rather large puddle. Suddenly, several things happened all at once.  
  
One of Berzerker's random electrical sparks landed in Magma's puddle, immediately knocking her unconscious. Her fire fades out, and Berzerker snickers, knowing that when she wakes up and sees her hair in the mirror, all fried and puffed up, she's going to kill him; but for now, it's really funny to see.  
  
Cyclops got a clear shot at Iceman, and took it, blasting the younger boy back several feet and leaving him huddled unconscious against some rocks. No longer forced to shield, Jean immediately attacked Shadowcat, holding her prisoner with her telekinesis. Meanwhile, Cyclops blasted Cannonball out of the sky. Cannonball came down in one of the trees, colliding with Nightcrawler, sending both boys plummeting towards the ground, and very painful landings. Berzerker electrocuted Jean, and the pain reverberated to Shadowcat, through the link Jean had been using to hold her immobile. Both girls, too were out of the game. Cyclops spared one last blast to get rid of Berzerker, and then he strode up to the flag, clearly seeing himself as the victor. However, a flaming card proved him wrong, landing directly in his path and knocking him back a few paces.  
  
When he'd regained his balance, Cyclops looked up just in time to see Gambit's fist headed straight towards him. Ducking, he sent a blast of force towards the other man, who neatly sidestepped it, tossing a card in return. They circled each other warily, pitting their powers against each other, each unable to get in a clear hit. Charged cards and flashes of red light were thick in the air, and as the others began to come to, all thoughts of darting forward to seize the flag were forgotten. Nobody wanted to get in the middle of this fight, it seemed.  
  
Jean was one of the first to awaken, and she simply stared, amazed and more than a little frightened. She'd known Scott for years, and never had she seen him this angry, this focused on an opponent. This was about far more than just a training exercise- this was about respect and dominance, about hierarchy and rank within the group, and about the uniquely male territorial instinct. As she watched, a random optic blast uprooted a tree; the supply of charged cards seemed to be endless. Neither man was holding back.  
  
Suddenly, Gambit lunged left, as if toe attempt to grab the little yellow flag, waving aimlessly in the breeze. Jumping towards him, Cyclops took the bait, leaving his stance unbalanced, and Gambit neatly swept his legs out from under him with a powerful kick. Cyclops recovered quickly, coming back up with a swift punch to the gut, knocking Gambit back a step. The Cajun answered back with a solid right hook, connecting with Cyclops' jaw, and his head snapped back. Cyclops called up every memory from training sessions with Wolverine, and shot out with a good kick, catching Gambit's knee.  
  
Gambit pulled the other man down with him, and they both went down in a tangle of limbs, throwing punches like two drunks fighting in one of the bars Logan liked to frequent. one moment they were rolling around on the ground beating the living daylights out of each other; the next, in one swift, fluid motion, Gambit was kneeling, one leg on Cyclops' chest to hold him down. Both of his hands were resting on Cyclops' visor, which was glowing that strange pink-red charged color.  
  
"Enough, mon ami," was all he said, as Cyclops snarled up at him. His voice was quiet, with deceptive calmness, but the anger radiating out from his demon eyes was frightening to behold.  
  
"That's enough, Gumbo," Wolverine said quite calmly, walking slowly towards them, as the simulation began to fade around them. "Let him up."  
  
Wordlessly, Gambit rose to his feet, absorbing the charge back into himself. He said nothing as he strode forward, grabbing the yellow flag, staring around the room as if to challenge anyone to take it from him. Only Shadowcat was able to meet his gaze, and he inclined his head to her, giving a nod in respect, before stalking from the room. 


End file.
